


Itsy Bitsy Spider

by Nekoturtle



Category: Hunter X Hunter
Genre: Angst, Family Fluff, Fluff, Gen, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, Implied/Referenced Suicide
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-04
Updated: 2020-12-31
Packaged: 2021-03-01 10:35:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 73
Words: 214,640
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23470003
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nekoturtle/pseuds/Nekoturtle
Summary: Their first impressions of the drooling, unconscious six-year-old were not the best.Rein is eleven now, and honestly, the Troupe doesn't know what to think of her. They know her hair is wild, she likes rocks, and has a past that she's not aware of, and that none of them have ever brought up. Rein herself? She likes her circumstances, and wouldn't trade them for the world.But Yorknew brings changes, changes Rein isn't ready for. There's a lot to take in, but change is just that, change. She'll get over it, and everything will be fine... but stories don't just end, do they? Pasts aren't useless, complications don't let everything be, and a few days can change a lifetime.And the past always comes back. Always.
Relationships: Feitan & Phinks, Genei Ryodan | Phantom Troupe & Kalluto Zoldyck, Kalluto Zoldyck & Killua Zoldyck, Kalluto Zoldyck & Zushi, Machi (Hunter X Hunter)/Original Character(s)
Comments: 18
Kudos: 94





	1. Glistening Scarlet

Chrollo smiled at the sheer amount of people in front of him. All so helpless and doomed, yet the fire in their eyes, furious and defiant, was burning brightly. Not bright enough though, for him. These weren't nearly the brilliant shade of red he had heard of from the incompetent auctioneers; a dim version of the awestruck descriptions he had been given. They were lacking in beauty. Which meant that the people were lacking in emotion. How to fix this problem?

"Feitan," Chrollo said, giving the slightest of nods.

Feitan grinned behind his skull bandana. They'd discussed what to do in this situation back at the base, and he was more than happy to carry it out. Grumbling a short response, Feitan strolled into the crowd tied up in Machi's strings, glaring right back at the ones who eyed him with hate. Tch. Who were they to glare at him? He made a small show of stepping over the dead bodies, the bodies of the useless people who married into the clan. The ones who didn't hold the treasure of the Scarlet Eyes. Some of the other Spiders had ripped their eyes out as well to test whether they would change, but in vain. There purposefully leaving their faces forever in strips and scars as a warning to the other clansmen.

All those remaining—those with the true genetic mutation they were after—now struggled to even look at Feitan, the sight of the bodies lying marred on the dirt almost too much for them. Some turned as much as they could and vomited, heaving and shaking. Amidst them all was one who stayed clutched to his mother despite not being tied up. Feitan's eyes latched onto him. Idiot.

The mother wiped at her child's face as best she could with Machi's threads tied around her wrists, and Feitan could see the tears welling up. "Please. Run away." Her whispering was soft, harsh, and frantic. "Okay? Can you do that for me sweetie?" the mother pleaded with her child. "Or for Kurapika. Do it for him. Please, just please, make it out alive-"

"Mother," the boy asked, turning his head to look at his clansmen around him. Half lay on the ground, bloody and dead. The others were standing tall despite nen threads threatening to cut into their skin, fighting back quivering lips and shaky limbs. His eyes, still a warm brown as he examined the scene around him, locked with Feitan's. "Who are they?"

Perfect. Feitan grabbed the boy from his mother, ignoring her cries. He held the boy up by the back of his shirt, tip of his sword pointed at his soft throat, more for show than anything else. He knew he could easily kill the boy with his bare hands, but the sword increased the feeling of power he held for those around him. Actually... rethinking, Feitan slashed lightly at the boy's arm, so not to make the boy feel anything (lest he squirm), but so there would be blood. His mother's screams were drawing the attention of the entire clan. Even more perfect. 

"No! Please!" Her trembling arms reached towards Feitan, pleading. "Kill me! He hasn't done a-any-anything! Just leave him alone, please, have mercy, and kill me instead, please, kill me, leave him..." She choked on her pathetic sobs, allowing the rest of the clan to shout in her place.

"Drop him!"

"Why are you doing this?"

"You'll all regret-"

"Ex-excuse me."

Feitan's gaze darted to the kid hanging from his fingertips. He pressed the blade closer, the crowd's panicked screams meaning nothing. 

He didn't know why Machi had failed to tie him up, or why the child was passing up such a golden opportunity to make his escape. But it all worked out in the Spider's favor. Yet, as he held the edge of his sword to the boy's neck, he didn't seem to be getting a response. The boy's eyes looked around, but they were dimmed, and now that Feitan was observing closer, kind of murky. 

Ah, bad eyes. And bad legs too, judging from how he'd hardly moved since the Spider had picked him up. With no attempts made to escape, it was clear he was weak. Heh. No wonder everyone else was so desperate to save him, the cries of even the meek rising against him.

But through it all, the boy's eyes were still a calm, honeyed brown. Feitan frowned. The mother was clearly one who held the Scarlet Eyes, judging from how her irises had flickered. Her son had to be a one with the genetic trait as well. As far as they knew, impaired vision didn't effect the Scarlet eyes in the least. But if all this didn't faze him, those eyes... At this rate, they'd never transform.

The boy scratched at his throat where the neckline of his white shirt was. "Who are you? Are you the people the elders warned us about?" The boy struggled to breathe, and his coloring skin showed it. "A-Are you?" he choked out.

"No! Please, he's only a child...Pai-" The mother's cries came out gargled and cut off suddenly, and she hurriedly wiped at her eyes when Feitan tilted his head in acknowledgement. "He's only a child. Please, if you have any heart, please, just please. Spare him." She was on her knees now. She looked up. "I know you have a heart. Let him live. Please."

Feitan kept his face stony, but one look into her eyes changed something inside him. A vibrant red, glistening from the tears that refused to go away. The mother's eyes, desperate but not lost, with a touch of resolve in them. All for what? To save her child? Why? He took a look at the boy's eyes, still that exact shade of brown despite everything going on around him. Despite knowing his own life was in danger. Feitan scowled.

The kid didn't understand, not yet. He wasn't threatened.

"Mother, no, don't cry." The boy held his hands out in front of him, and smiled. So he wasn't completely blind, but impaired. Fei would take advantage of this. "Don't cry, Mother, it's okay—"

Feitan lifted his sword and sliced.

There was the deep thunk of a body, and the sound of something lighter hitting the ground.

A silence. "Mother?"

Keeping a firm hold on the back of his shirt, Feitan lowered the boy to the ground.

"Mother?" Feitan allowed him to get closer to the body, to be able to see just what he had done. The boy took a step toward her body, but froze, retracing and stepping toward her head, and froze again, as if torn about which he should move toward. He looked to the body then to the head over and over, as if split in half himself. "Mother, M... Mama, no." The boy turned to face Feitan while trying to release himself from the Spider's grasp. His eyes were finally red now, blazing with anger and loss. Once again, tears made them glisten. "Why?"

Feitan felt it again. That little change in him, right as he saw those eyes that had lost so much. It was beautiful. The Scarlet Eyes, considered one of the most beautiful colors on the planet, an he'd just found a way to make them brighter, better. They were clearer and more vibrant with tears. Tears. Danchou was right. Emotion activated the Scarlet Eyes.

"Why?" A flood of tears rolled down the boy's face as he screamed.

Feitan adjusted the grip on his sword, tightening the hold. Now.

* * *

At an anguished cry erupting from the captured people, Chrollo looked up from his book, ever so slightly startled by the sight that greeted him. The air. Red, glistening with tears and fueled by fury and newfound devastation. This color, pure and untouched. Truly the most beautiful color in the world. And that beauty? That exquisite beauty? Chrollo covered his mouth and laughed.

It was all for him.

Chrollo stood up and the rest of the Phantom Troupe looked at him, not moving from their resting spots in the grass. Killing those who struggled took energy, after all. He quickly served his orders. "Shalnark, pick a team and join up with Feitan. Nobunaga, take whoever is left and search the houses and surrounding area for any who may have escaped."

"Got it, Danchou," Shalnark responded, flashing a quick thumbs-up before turning to bicker with Nobunaga about who got to choose who, perfectly calm while Nobunaga was so loud spittle flew from his mouth.

Chrollo leaned against a nearby tree and brought the book in front of his face again in hopes of continuing his read, but was unable to focus. The Scarlet Eyes... The very thought sent a slight curve to his lips. A rare treasure, his to enjoy for as long as he pleased, and the money that they would later rake in from them wouldn't hurt. One of the most beautiful things in the world, all for him. Him.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Shalnark leaving with Pakunoda, Franklin and Omokage, leaving Nobunaga and Uvogin alone to hunt down stragglers. Shalnark chose well, taking only those with the skill and patience to retrieve the eyes. Uvogin was the most restless of them all. It wasn't hard to imagine the amount of eyes that would be crushed in his large, muscular fists. And Phinks had never been one for delicate work, even more so now. Chrollo took one hand to massage his neck, and continued with his read. Softened leather in hand and the scent of destruction in the air—it was perfect. Pushing any thought of the Scarlet Eyes to the back of his mind, he allowed himself to read, only looking up when Phinks came back.

"Yo, Danchou." The sunlight dappled his tracksuit as he stepped out of the trees.

"What is it?"

"There's, uh..." He cleared his throat. "I couldn't kill one of the stragglers."

Chrollo silently slipped the book into his coat pocket. His gaze upon him was sharp, but Phinks wouldn't look his way. Phinks had an odd habit of trying to hide his expressions, and not doing a very good job at it. He would look someone in the eye and shrink away, then draw up with a forced sneer on his lips, or stay there, lower his brows, and look rather- to put it eloquently- constipated. 

"Just come."

With a small frown, he stepped forward and allowed the Spider to lead the way. Chrollo was guided to a spot far from the village, at the edge of the woods, close to the cliff side. His attention was guided to a grand tree, with low-hanging branches, flowers dotting its foliage, and... the white undergarments of the clan crumpled on the ground.

As they drew closer, Chrollo came to see that it was actually a girl, lying on the grass and bleeding from her head. She seemed to have been around the age of five or so. Perhaps six? With a strong gust of wind, her traditional covering came floating to the ground. It must have gotten caught on the branches when she fell. Chrollo plucked it out of the air and rubbed the fabric between his fingers. A fine red and gold pattern, newer and clean with a good wash. It would come for a good price.

"That brat was in that tree," Phinks started. "But it fell and knocked itself unconscious when it saw me."

Chrollo nodded, and opened up her eyes for inspection, to see if any damage had been done to them. He was met with a brown iris, that turned gold when the wind blew again and the light hit her eye.

"I just... I..." Phinks gave up, spat on the ground, and stayed uncharacteristically silent. 

Brown irises. So that was why Phinks had been acting so peculiarly. Chrollo's look softened, and her brought his hands back away from the girl's body, clasping them in his lap. Perhaps this mission had been too soon for him. Maybe he should have let him stay behind. 

"She's using Ten," he observed, speaking up. "And in her sleep. The clan shouldn't even know about Nen, at least not to this point."

"Kinda looks like number eight, doesn't she." The words had popped out of his mouth before he'd noticed. Phinks turned, knowing he would only hinder Danchou if he stayed there. "You decide what to do with...that."

* * *

Phinks walked off, cursing bitterly under his breath. In the middle of walking, he realized his hands were flipping about, making signs and signals. As he stared, his hands moved by themselves, signing swear words and his rapid thoughts, and a name over and over again.

Clenching his fists together to make it stop, he punched a nearby tree until his knuckles returned bloody and bruised. Finally, his fingers went limp.

It seemed as if his irrationality from just a month before had returned. Shoving his bleeding hands into his pockets, he went in search of the rest of the Troupe. He'd get Fei, Shal, Uvo and the others, and bring them to Danchou. It was the only thing he could do while he was like this. 

* * *

What to do.

The clan should have had no means of which to learn about Nen because of their isolation from the outside world. Which meant one of three things had happened. She had learnt Nen by herself without really comprehending what it was, her aura had flown out and was eventually tamed, or she was so dedicated to a certain topic that she had become a special class of nen users known as 'genius'. If she was the last one though, it meant that she still had absolutely no clue what Nen was. And in all of these, the chance she had a Hatsu was low.

Inching closer, Chrollo swept her brown bangs off her head, revealing a large bruise turning all kinds of unsightly shades of purple. Still, she'd done well to survive the fall. If she could maintain a nearly perfect state of Ten while unconscious—

Chrollo glanced once again at the unsightly bruise. She was a child. A malleable child, waiting to be made into the perfect vessel. It would be nice to control growth for once. With some training, he could reshape her mind, heart, and abilities. An experiment of sorts, with the most unpredictable element known to man: children.

It remained a fact that all this child had done was tame her aura to a state of Ten. While it was possible, Chrollo doubted she knew much of the other techniques. She hadn't done anything worthwhile.

But a blank slate, a lump of wet clay. All waiting to be made into a masterpiece by his talented hand. Children were challenging, he knew. But he was Chrollo Lucilfer, one who'd risen above Meteor City to become the head of the Phantom Troupe. A challenge was welcome to him.

And perhaps, perhaps he could prove _him_ wrong. For number eight, and maybe also a bit for Phinks. He couldn't completely ignore the needs of his Troupe. 

"Danchou!" Shalnark burst into the scene, the rest of the Troupe following him. He rambled, per usual. "We finished! Feitan wanted to keep some of the elders alive for a bit longer, but Machi used her strings on them, but we put all the eyes in the containers already, so...what is that?"

Chrollo swept the little girl into his arms, displaying the child for the rest to see.

"Oh, shoot, we missed one," Shalnark moaned.

Machi stepped forward, needle at the ready. "I can take care of this one. I can fix whatever damage has been done to her head and eyes as well."

"No," Chrollo said, and got up, the grass padding and silencing his movements. "This girl is more precious than all the Scarlet Eyes we've collected." Perhaps 'precious' was a bit over the top, but he'd always been one to flower in his wording.

A silence. Pakunoda's voice floated softly through the air, voicing everyone's confusion. "What?"

Chrollo motioned for Uvogin, and loaded the girl onto his back. Despite his complaints, Uvogin allowed the girl to get on and locked his arms locked around her knees, securing her in place. His brow furrowed in confusion. What was Danchou thinking?

Chrollo turned to the rest of the Spiders. "We have an interesting opportunity, to reshape a mind and heart. Not only that, but we now hold a treasure that no one else has."

The girl, uneven clumps of brown hair sticking up in spots, continued to drool onto Uvogin's muscular shoulder. Disgusting, but cute, he supposed, in a childish sort of way. Chrollo smiled. He would have to fix that problem.

"The sole survivor of the Kurta Clan."


	2. Rocks & Pebbles

Her muscles tensed, stance shifting lower, colder. Her foot moved forward, silent in the air, and she pressed her back against the cold wall behind her; just as she'd been taught.

His guard was down, as much as it would ever be. 

Attack.

"Feitan!" Rein leapt onto his small back and wrapped her arms around his neck, quickly locking her fingers in the crooks of her elbows in hopes that she wouldn't be thrown off. Again.

"Wha- Get off!" Feitan shouted, breaking her hold easily. Gripping her upper arm, he hauled her over his head and sent her flying towards the wall in an instant.

Rein, used to this same exact procedure now, sighed. Little had changed since she'd started her campaign to jump-attack Feitan whenever he least suspected it. She'd gotten better, of course, but after months worth of doing this, he'd improved as well. Now it only meant that Feitan was more aware of his surroundings, and while she was proud of the fact that she'd even managed to jump on, she could never stay. Landing, she dusted off her hands, glancing at Feitan. While Rein hadn't made much progress in the actual attack, she smiled to see that she had managed to pull down his painted bandana today, revealing more of his face.

Feitan scoffed across the room. "Next time you not so lucky." In a flash, he appeared in front of her face. He stuck his hand up, showing pointed nails before scratching the tip of her nose with his pointer finger. A bead of blood appeared. "You need to get better." He pulled up his bandana with one hand, adjusting it so the simple skull marking in front appeared smooth.

Rein let him leave. Despite all those years of being with the Phantom Troupe, their skills never ceased to amaze her. But here, a high level of skill was normal. Superhuman speed, agility, strength, or rare Nen ability, they all had something. Of course, they were still her quirky family: Feitan was just... Feitan, Machi just Machi, and Chrollo just Chrollo, and so many more. Right, they were the closest thing she had, and it sometimes felt as if they were only human themselves. But they all excelled in some way.

Between overall lack of quality in both physical and set Nen ability, it'd be a long time before she could even come _close_ to comparing with any of them.

"Fell off of Feitan again, kid?"

Rein scowled at Phinks, who was standing in the doorway. "I didn't fall, he grabbed me and threw me at the wall. There's a difference."

Phinks shrugged, and walked in. "Either way, at your rate, you're never going to even get close to doing whatever it is you want to do." Something in his stride suggested he was up to trouble, or at least considering it. "But wanna know something?" He set himself down next to her, devilish grin on his face. Huh. Phinks smiling. A rare sight. "Fei's ticklish."

She couldn't think. "No."

"Believe it, kid," Phinks laughed cruelly, pounding a fist into his palm. "I've known him since Meteor City. Go for the elbows."

"He's ticklish?" Rein started to laugh along with Phinks. "He can't possibly— This is great!" She could imagine it: Jumping on Feitan using Zetsu so he wouldn't sense her, and grasping at his elbows...then what? She would fall back, Feitan would pull out his sword in a state of ticked rage, and he would...he would...oh. 

Rein brought her fingers to her throat. As much as she loved playing around with Feitan, she valued her own life more. "He'll probably try to kill me though. Wanna help?"

Phinks let loose a snort. "Seeing your progress so far, I won't have a choice but to help."

Rein dropped her jaw in mock offence. Fishing out a chunk of rock from her skirt pocket, she tossed it at his head. He jumped up to dodge it, causing her to grunt in frustration. "Take that back!"

"Make me," Phinks suggested as he moved to the middle of the room, about nine feet away. He sat down and crossed his legs. "Let's see whatcha got."

Rein threw another rock, but all Phinks had to do to avoid her "attack" was to tilt his head to the right. At the taunting look in his eyes, she shoved her hands into the bottom of her right pocket and turned it inside out, sending the dozens of rocks and pebbles she'd kept there tumbling to the ground. Kneeling, she swept them together in a messy pile. Rein selected a familiar smooth pebble about quarter the size of her palm, and wrapped her fist around it. This one would be for later. She ran her hands over the rest of the rocks, memorizing their feel. Using her free hand, she started to throw.

She chucked them at Phinks, him dodging every single one despite him being in a seated position.

"You really suck at this, Rein!" he shouted.

How did he make it look so easy?

Roughly, only a quarter of her pile was gone. That left forty one stones, forty two if you counted the last one already waiting in her fist. Now it was time to get serious. Driving some Nen to both her hands and wrists, she flung the rest as fast as she could, making sure to throw them all as straight fastballs. (That baseball term was from Uvogin, though she wondered if it was still valid for non-ball-shaped objects.) She didn't need to look at the rapidly shrinking pile of rocks to know how many she had left. She'd fired thirty two. When she'd fired thirty five, she would initiate her plan.

"If it wasn't for gravity, you wouldn't even hit the groun-"

Phinks was knocked back.

Rein jumped up, and pumped a fist into the air. "Yes! Right in the kisser! Just when it really mattered, I did it! I really did it! At the most crucial of moments, I did it! Ha ha h—oh no."

Phinks righted himself and wiped a trickle of blood from the corner of his mouth with the back of his hand. "You are dead."

Suppressing squeals in her delighted but now terrified state, she bolted for the door, but his large hand grabbed her wrist and he swung her behind him. Twisting her arm, he pinned her onto the ground in a single, fluid movement.

"Lemme go!" Rein tried to say with her cheek pressed against the cool concrete floor. She attempted to squirm out of his grasp, but he held tight.

"As soon as you explain to me how you managed to land a hit on me." Phinks narrowed his eyes, but was unable to wipe the teasing smile off his face. He was glad Rein couldn't see him from her angle. It'd ruin his strong image. "I'm like forty times stronger than you, and that's being nice. You shouldn't have been able to even scratch me with the skill you have, or lack thereof—"

Phinks was once again knocked backwards.

Sighing, Rein sat up and rubbed at her wrist, which was already reddening. " _Stars_ , you have a strong grip."

Swearing, Phinks propped himself up with his elbows and spit the little amount of blood in his mouth onto the cement. He cast a cold stare her way. He glanced at her foot, which had made contact with his jaw only a moment before. This brat couldn't even pass his and Fei's strength test, so... "How. How did you do it?"

"Ew." Rein wrinkled her nose at the watery glob of blood. "Phinks, no. That's disgusting."

"Tell me," he demanded, and sat up. He crossed his legs and adjusted himself so that he was blocking the only exit. "I'm not letting you out until you tell me."

Phinks. He'd always made things go at his own pace.

Rein stood up and searched the room for her stones, shoving them into her pocket when she found them. "The first time, I actually planned beforehand, kinda. I threw most of the first ones straight but varied their speed. Later I made them curveballs, so they were harder to avoid." Rein scanned the room. She was missing one of her rocks, her important one. "Your problem," she continued, "is that when you start to tease, you close your eyes because you get full of yourself. A lot. I'm not kidding."

Phinks growled at the jab and leaned forward. "So you thought that if you suddenly flip-flopped your careful plan, I'd be caught of guard."

"Yeah."

"You insult me."

Rein blinked. "But it worked." The smooth stone finally caught her eye. She held it up so Phinks could see its gray speckled pattern. "This one is my lucky rock. It has some aura around it, see?" Using Gyo, she admired it, noting how it was calm, yet sometimes burst up in spots like a wave in the ocean. "This one hit you."

"Alright." He wiped the corner of his mouth with the pad of his thumb, remembering the small sting the impact had left. "And what about that last hit?"

She dropped her lucky rock into her pocket. He was obviously referring to when she kicked the side of his face despite being pinned to the ground. "Same method, more or less. When you were going on about my inadequacies, or-" She cleared her throat. " _Lack thereof_ ", she mocked, repeating his earlier words. "I tapped the arm you were pinning me down with. Then my foot kicked the right side of your face-"

"I know that, I'm not an idiot."

"You're not?"

He grit his teeth for a brief moment. "I meant how."

She bent over backwards with her knuckles brushing the ground, demonstrating how flexible she was. "Piece of cake." She lifted her arms in a bone-popping stretch, and looked back at Phinks. 

He let out a quick exhale, and rose. "That is so incredibly stupid." He continued before she could throw another rock at his head. "Well, I guess this'll be enough to satisfy Danchou."

Wait. Danchou? "About what?" Phinks didn't answer. "The fact that I was able to hit you two times? And more importantly, what do you mean?" Still no response. With Phinks, there was only one way to get him to spit it out. She raised her voice. "Are we going to see him? Are we gonna see Chrollo? Are we going to meet? The entire Troupe or just us? Can I go? Why are you telling him this? It's not like it's anything special. Are we meeting? Tell me!"

Finally, he reacted. "You're so _annoying_!" He put her in a headlock and ruffled her brown hair, making it even messier than it already was. He ignored how it was difficult for her to breathe. "Yeah, we're meeting. Everyone."

* * *

Chrollo flipped through the catalog of items up for Southern Piece auction he'd acquired earlier that day. Some rare artifacts and items, but none of them as intriguing as the ones in the underground auction. Though the legendary Greed Island game came pretty close. The lots from the underground auction were their top priority, yet if they had time he supposed they could steal some other items.

Shalnark would most likely press for the Greed Island game, he knew. The scenario he pictured went like this: Shal would ask Feitan for help, Feitan would gladly go along to decapitate anybody who stood in the way, and Phinks would come from the opposite side, leaving a trail of bodies with heads and necks askew. Those three were so predictable. If he remembered correctly (which he always did), this time, Shalnark had split from those two, instead choosing to go with Shizuku and Kortopi for the time being. Rein had replaced him, claiming she needed to train and the sadistic pair were her best bet.

He'd see her overmorrow. In the months that the Troupe had been separated, she was sure to have made some inkling of progress, especially if Fei and Phinks were at her side. They never went easy on anyone, and though Chrollo knew they wouldn't dare cause her serious injury—they had strict orders not to—any lesson they taught was learned the hard way. Of course, that just meant you would never forget any lesson.

What kind of improvements had she made? Chrollo hadn't heard from them since they last met up, but he could take a guess. Spending months with Phinks and Feitan? A higher level of skill in combat ability was to be expected. Maybe she'd finally set a Hatsu. Perhaps now, she even had a vague idea on what she wished her specialist ability to be. But that required her to be a Specialist when they needed it.

He hoped that she'd been able to master switching in between regular and scarlet eyes like he'd told her to work on before the Troupe had split. Not much was known about the Scarlet Eyes, and when they had encountered the Kurta Clan, no one was willing to share any information. If he'd known he was going to end up with another child by the end of the attack, he would have pressed harder for the knowledge. No one knew if purposely switching in between normal eyes and Scarlet Eyes was possible, but if anyone could do it, it was Rein.

She was determined and focused, and strived to master any skill she learned the moment he informed her of it. When Rein had joined the Troupe after Chrollo locked up her memories of the Kurta Clan, he had been the one to train her. And during those first few weeks, she'd certainly acted the way he wanted her too. He had to admit, he respected her passion.

Granted, at the time she had nothing else in her empty-slate mind, but still.

Yes, things had gone a bit off-track since then. Though her memories were gone, it seemed some remnant had remained, and they'd hindered in his attempt to create the perfect Spider. Still, though it might take a few more years to get rid of those, she was developing wonderfully. 

Chrollo tilted his head up to admire the shattered remains of the stained glass dome that covered the once magnificent building. The lingering sunbeams hit the glass at an angle, sending colored splotches of light cascading to the cold floor. Beauty. Beauty, yet still incomparable to the striking hue of the Scarlet Eyes. And he would see them again, soon.

When the Phantom Troupe met in Yorknew City, he would see them again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay so my good friend (who i love so much, thank you, you're the best) helped me publish on ao3 and I'm like SUPER happy i was able to work this. I was so confused at first.


	3. Spider's Reunion

"Are we there ye—"

Feitan growled from the passenger seat. He stuck up his hand, showing manipulated nails, sharper than knives. She could almost see them twitching with irritation. "You're getting annoying."

Rein gave a sheepish smile. "Love you too, Fei."

Feitan glared and faced back front. He lowered the visor, but even then it failed to shade his eyes from the bright, low-hanging sun.

Letting go of the wheel, Phinks grabbed a water bottle from the back of his seat and took a swig. He offered it to Feitan. "Any word from Machi?"

Feitan shook his head, shaking his spiky bangs into his eyes in place of the visor. He ignored the bottle. "No word of number 4. Machi was to check on him."

Number 4. She vaguely remembered the woman pointing him out before, and the short interaction they'd had. "Hisoka? He's coming too, right? Even if Machi doesn't know or didn't let you know, it's an order from Danchou, so Hisoka should be there." Undoing her seatbelt, she leapt forward so her head was in between the front two seats. "Besides, last time he said he had a card trick or something to show—"

"Put on a seatbelt," Phinks warned. "If any busybody sees you standing up, there might be trouble and as much as I want to, we can't cause a commotion right before a plan." He elbowed her roughly in the ribs, pushing her back. "And stay away from that pedo of a clown. You shouldn't be near him."

"Phinks." Rein had made the same slip-up before, mistaking a street magician for a clown. The magician had yelled at her, but at least she hadn't made the mistake on Hisoka. If she'd called Hisoka a clown, he would either accept the fact with a smirk or kill her on the spot. "He's a magician, not a clown."

Phinks took out a long breath. A pause. Then he let out a burst of creative curses and name-calling. Rein was taken aback with the flow of words. He continued, emphasizing every single adjective with a passionate hit to the steering wheel. "Don't go near him, EVER. Got it?" He let go of the steering wheel with one hand, revealing the dent he had made in it. He turned back to look at Rein, teeth gnashed together.

Was she supposed to answer? Stars, she hadn't understood anything that had flown out of his mouth. What to say? "...yes... Hisoka is dangerous. But so are all of you, technically."

Rein had never witnessed an aneurysm before, but if there was ever a person to have one at anytime, it would be Phinks, right now.

"She's right," Feitan butted in. He undid his seatbelt, and catapulted himself to the back of the truck, settling down next to Rein. "You're strong by civilian standards. Still weak for Nen. Hisoka stronger."

"Then I guess I'll have to train more." Rein smiled, then brought her hand up to Feitan's hair to pet it.

Snatching her wrist, he growled. "No." He stood. "Here's my stop." The truck was still in motion. He didn't look her way, but she could tell that he was monitoring her movements very carefully. He tended to do that a lot, but Rein pretended not to notice. It wasn't worth bringing up anyway, since she was sure he did that to everyone.

"You're meeting Machi, right? Tell her I say—"

The back door shut, cutting off her words. Feitan was gone. She shrugged, and climbed over to the front seat that Feitan had vacated only a minute before. Rein wrapped a hand around the water bottle Phinks had opened, pleased at the crinkling sound it made. She took a swig. "Are we there yet?"

"You _brat_ , shut up—"

* * *

Feitan barely kicked up any dust on the plain as he ran. He kept his sword tucked carefully away, tilting it so that it wouldn't rub against his leg and potentially effect his speed.

"Tch." He had to admit, he was surprised that he made that sound aloud. He certainly hadn't meant to. It was just... Rein.

Rein. She was too optimistic, and while her optimism had fueled her determination for many years, it was only a matter of time before it would play a part in her downfall. She would underestimate an opponent, or assure herself that she would come out from a fight unscathed. She was strong for her age, and smart too, but she was far from invincible. She had a lot to learn, and not enough time to master them before she went and did something reckless. It's not that she wasn't careful, it was that she was terrible at evaluating a situation and how high the risks were.

Not only that, but she was also too attached to—

Feitan froze, sending a cloud of dust flying into the air before him. Attached to who? The Phantom Troupe? Them? The Spiders? She had said "Love you too". What did that mean? That she somehow misinterpreted some of his actions as... _affection?_ He'd threatened her, so that couldn't have been it. Besides, she had also shown signs of attachment to other members of the Phantom Troupe. Memories of the past years flashed in his head: Shouting at the TV screen with Uvogin for a baseball game despite the fact that she understood none of it, trying to learn to sew with Machi, hiding Shalnark's gadgets and dragging Franklin into the whole ordeal, holding Pakunoda's hand when she had first started to tag along on missions. 

Tch. They'd all gone soft, but he was different. All he'd done was train her.

So why?

Struggling to understand, he took off once again, picking up the pace to meet Machi and her group at the scheduled time. Rein was not at all weak. But to be weak and to have a weakness were two different things. And she had many weaknesses, and all one had to do to find them was to spend a day with her and the ones she seemed to...to...

Machi's spiky pink hair came into view, and Feitan slowed down. He tried to calm his thoughts, but his mind was still a whirl.

_...to love?_

* * *

"We're here!" Rein shouted, flinging the door open and jumping out.

Phinks looked as if on the verge of killing someone. Most likely her, from the amount of times she'd asked "Are we there yet" and he'd responded with a plate full of curse words that Pakunoda would not approve of.

They'd arrived at the base of a crumbling building, and though the architecture of it suggested that it had once been a rather grand place, it's magnificence had been worn down over years of hardships. Now it stood on the outskirts of Yorknew City, lonely and forgotten. Slivers of colored glass from the top of its dome littered the concrete, and rubble decorated the place, offering shelter for wandering animals. A scrawny cat hissed at the intruders and dashed away.

She slung a single bag of supplies around her shoulder and walked in, leaving Phinks behind to deal with the parking of the truck. She definitely didn't hear him shouting at her to come help unload the rest of the supplies. Nope.

"Chrollo!" she shouted. No answer. "Danchou!" Still none. "I know you can hear me!" Nothing still.

Guess she had to track him down, then. Using Gyo, she started to search the building, zigzagging across each floor and leaping up to the next, until she reached the top floor with its broken dome of shattered color. "I should've known."

Chrollo sat amidst the rubble, reading a small book with a worn red cover. He leaned back on the block of cement, elegantly crossing his legs as he did so. Candles of various sizes were set around him, basking him in a warm light and illuminating the text. He flipped a yellowed page. "Should have known what, exactly?"

"That you would be here, at the unique spot of the building. If I'd stopped to think I could have just come straight here without wasting my energy."

"Why? Are you tired?" He finally looked up.

"Of course not." To demonstrate, Rein concentrated some aura to the bottoms of her feet and jumped, landing all the way on the other side of the large room, right next to Chrollo. She crouched down. "What are you reading?"

"The second volume of Jine Curan's set of philosophical works, though this particular chapter is leaning more toward analysis of reality." Adjusting the fur lined collar of his leather coat, he smiled up at Rein. "It's a rather fascinating read. I'll let you borrow it when you're older."

Rein found herself nodding.

He closed the book and looked at the young girl. "You're eleven now, correct?" He didn't wait for the answer. "What progress have you made?"

"Well, I can jump Feitan everyday now, and can stay on for almost a second." Rein felt a measure of pride at the slight jump in his eyebrows. When they'd last been together, Rein hadn't even been able to enter a room without Feitan noticing, let alone touch him. Comparing that to now being able to surprise him every single day and latching onto his back for an entire second, she knew it was a considerable amount of progress. She hadn't made a mistake in choosing her companions for the separation.

"Have you mastered switching in between eye state? Or have you finally selected a Hatsu?" Chrollo, ever the teacher.

"No," she admitted, though she didn't want to. What else to say? She couldn't leave him on just one part of improvement. She hadn't made much progress in the field he'd asked her to work on, since the genetic mutation she had wasn't something anyone could teach her about, but... "I was able to hit Phinks in the face twice in one day! _Twice_! " she repeated for emphasis.

"And to add insult to the injury she didn't even help unload the truck."

"Phinks!"

He stood with his arms crossed. "Personally, I don't even know how she managed to hit me once, let alone twice. With her rate of increase in power and skill, I thought it'd still be _at least_ a year before-"

A smack echoed through the room.

"That's how I did it, Danchou."

Chuckling, Phinks lowered his arm and opened up his fist, revealing the stone he'd caught. "Too slow, Rein."

She clucked her tongue. "You're making me look bad."

He gave a fake laugh. "It's not because of _me_."

It look her a moment, but when she got the meaning behind his words, she rose and crossed her arms to mirror him. It didn't hold for long as she started shoving her hands into her pocket, she turned it inside out, sending the dozens of rocks she'd carefully put back there yesterday spilling out onto the concrete block. "You want to do this again?"

Chrollo brushed off the rocks that had fallen into his lap and scooted to the left, giving Rein some room. He glanced at the amount of stones, and the candles they had knocked over when they had tumbled out of her skirt. "Did...did your pocket get bigger?"

"What, this?" Rein fingered the soft material. "No, I just made another skirt with much bigger pockets out of the same fabric." She admired the red cloth, and felt heat creep up to her ears when she noticed Chrollo eyeing her strangely. "I like flannel, okay? Shut up."

Chrollo broke eye contact. "I didn't say anything. And I believe you were about to have a fight." He nodded toward the rocks, then looked at Phinks, who had unzipped the jacket of his tracksuit in preparation for the fight.

"Oh yeah." Rein knelt down and directed aura to her hands.

"Winner is whoever admits defeat, but winning by a KO is acceptable. The one who wins has to cook dinner for the whole Troupe and do the dishes."

"Deal."

* * *  
"What is going on." It wasn't even a question, just words that fell from her mouth. Machi widened her eyes a bit upon seeing the sight, but quickly adjusted them back to their usual disinterested and nonchalant look.

"Rein and Phinks are having a fight, loser cooks dinner and does the dishes," Shalnark briefly explained. "Victory is through admittance of defeat or by a knock out. Seeing as this has gone on for the past hour or so, I'm starting to think that we're not going to be eating a cooked meal tonight."

"Hm." Seeing Pakunoda in the corner cleaning her pistol, she left Shalnark to his observation. "Paku."

Pakunoda tilted her head toward Machi but didn't take her eyes off her weapon.

"Did Rein say anything about past memories? Have you checked?"

Pakunoda exhaled and lifted her pistol to the ceiling, examining its gleam from below. "She's been fighting since I got here, and we haven't had a chance to talk." She lowered her arms and stared at her quizzically. "Why do you always ask? Even Danchou stopped asking years ago. You know the memory remover said the effects would be permanent."

"Then why wasn't Danchou able to steal his ability?" Machi hadn't meant to snap, but no matter. She'd been asking herself that question for years, and it angered her, though she didn't know why. "I know, I know, the entire process took longer than an hour. That's why." Shouts from the fight and its observers drew her attention.

"Nice dodge! Now jump back!" Uvogin shouted, clapping his large hands.

Phinks tried to punch Rein but missed by an inch as soon as she leapt backwards."Why are you helping _her_?"

Rein threw another stone. "Because no one likes yo-" A rock hit her temple.

Phinks seemed pleased at how he'd thrown one of her own stones right back at her. "How do you like a taste of your own medi-" A pebble hit the back of his throat.

"I'm sorry, you were saying?"

Machi turned away. Rein had definitely gotten stronger during their separation if she was capable of taking on Phinks for a light game, but her essence hadn't changed at all. She looked at Pakunoda. "After all these years...It's...it's just that..." She let loose a short sigh. "It's probably nothing."

"I'm going to check her right after the fight, so I'll update you later. Don't worry." Pakunoda patted Machi's shoulder. "Like you said, it's probably nothing."

That's what Machi hoped. Yet something still felt off to her. It was just her hunch, but still, Machi's gut feeling was almost never wrong. Would Rein really stay ignorant of the first six years of her life? Maybe the memory remover had lied. Maybe his Nen was imperfect. Maybe Rein wouldn't forget forever.

Just a hunch.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> surprised at how I am actually sort of managing to work ao3  
> (meanwhile I'm literally ignoring the parts i dont understand but i guess that's okay)


	4. Chapter 4

They didn't eat dinner. Rein and Phinks kept fighting, eventually to the point where it was just Rein sitting on the ground, conjuring then throwing stone after stone, while Phinks kept catching them and sometimes throwing them back if he was feeling generous.

Neither wanted to admit defeat, but Phinks was under strict orders from Chrollo not to hurt Rein too badly, which included knocking her unconscious, so he couldn't put a stop to the "fight" from his end. As Rein couldn't even hit Phinks anywhere anymore, she was unable to end things from her end as well, which brought things to a mutual standstill. The only movement now was just that of a disinterested game of catch, if only to pass the time.

"It's almost morning," Rein groaned, trying to blink away the bleary feeling. "Where's Hisoka?"

"If he isn't here soon, I'll tear his limbs off," said Uvogin through clenched teeth. He cracked his knuckles. That smug clown always stood them up and he swore that if he ever did it again, he would get it, that son of a—

"My, my. What a gruesome conversation." Golden eyes glinted from the shadows. "How scary."

"You're finally here." Shalnark stood up, hand on his waist. His face didn't show any sign of resentment at having to have waited for so long. In fact, he seemed pretty happy that Hisoka had arrived at all. His gaze was the complete opposite of what Uvogin's happened to be.

"I almost thought you weren't going to show," Machi commented, trying to convey her lack of interest as she stared down at her crossed arms.

Hisoka gave an unapologetic shrug. "You told me to come. Had I not, I wouldn't have the chance to see those amazing Nen stitches of yours again." He smiled her way, deftly flashing his canines.

Machi returned a cold stare.

"Well, everyone's here!" Rein called, flicking a final stone in the general direction of her opponent. They could finally get down to business. "What is it this time?"

"Probably something from the auctions. Ancient books, maybe? Danchou sure likes those."

"Maybe the Greed Island game. Extremely rare and up for auction at such a high quantity..."

"Wouldn't it make more sense to steal some precious metals or gems?"

Various members of the Troupe voiced their opinions before Chrollo's lilting voice rang through the air, silencing them all with one word: "Everything."

"D-Danchou?" someone said, but Rein couldn't tell who it was.

"Everything. Every single item up for auction, all those valuable goods; We will steal them all tonight."

Her eyes widened, as did the others'. "That's bold." Rein shook her head to clear her thoughts. Adjusting her stance, she stood tall. "But a piece of cake for us."

"That's right." Uvogin came up behind her and ruffled her short brown locks until they stood up like his own. "The underground auctions are held and attended by the highest in the mafia community. We'll be making enemies of all the mafia gangs and increase the heavy bounty on our heads." He flashed a giddy grin as gleeful anticipation surged through him. "I can't wait."

* * *

Pakunoda held up her wristwatch to the limited amount of moonlight. "It's almost time."

Phinks sat, another can of beer empty in his hand. He eyed Hisoka with suspicion.

Hisoka pretended not to notice, instead staring wistfully out the window. Surrounded by the older Troupe members, Chrollo was heavily guarded. He didn't stand a chance now if he attacked. He would have to wait, wait for the perfect moment to pluck the ripe fruit from the tree. He tilted his head upwards. Oh, how he couldn't wait. He was itching to fight him, to kill him, to finish him off. Hisoka tapped a card against the window, deep in thought. A hot air balloon slowly rising caught his eyes, as did a small movement from the side of its basket. He narrowed his eyes.

There was another fruit, not yet ripe. But it would soon be.

After a long silence, Chrollo shut his read and stood. "Where's Rein?"

* * *

"I'm not judging or anything, but aren't there faster methods of transportation?" Rein cast a questioning look up at the hot air balloon they were in. "This is so slow."

"Danchou will want us to make a commotion later." Shalnark tucked the deck of cards he'd been playing with into his vest pocket. "We need some sort of way to mark that the Spiders are the reason behind the events that will happen, and besides, if we're going to earn the wrath of the mafia, killing them all when we have the opportunity is ideal. This hot air balloon will give them time to locate and follow us while we simultaneously keep them at a safe distance."

"I guess..." Her fingers brushed against her pocket towards her rocks, but as if knowing what she was thinking, Shal smacked her hand. 

"No." Shalnark pointed a finger, free of accusatory feelings despite what he was doing. "Weren't you supposed to stay behind?"

"That is beside the point."

"It's really not. And either way, you won't have a chance to kill anyone today. I know Danchou told you to not come, and that means he didn't want you taking part. But since you're here it's not like you'll willingly sit around and leave it at that. So I'm taking you with me." Shalnark held up his phone, it's devil-like pointed ears almost touching his temple. "I'll take care of anyone in the way. Don't act unless I tell you to, alright? You're already overstepping Danchou's wishes as it is, we can't have you do much."

"But I can handle it," she tried.

He smiled, albeit apologetically. "Sorry, Rein."

* * *

"Feitan and Franklin are scheduled to arrive in the main auction hall in about a minute, so they should be cleaning up backstage. Shizuku should already be waiting outside in the hall. Uvogin will be looking for the head of the auction, but someone might be with him. The others should be looking for the items up for auction and getting rid of guards in the path. Is everyone where they should be?" Shalnark squeezed her shoulders supportively, waiting for her response.

Rein scanned the various security camera feeds as fast as she could, but with so many, it was hard to tell. "Umm...hold on." Taking a step back, she read over the various labels of the feed sections. Auction hall feeds were in section C-2, office feeds were in B-2, and the hallways that the others should have been in had feeds connected to screens in C-1. She checked. "Yeah, they're all there."

"Good job!"

She let out a light scoff. "You already knew where everyone was, I just took quadruple the time to confirm it." Seeing Feitan and Franklin walk onto the stage, she adjusted the volume so they could observe.

It was quite stunning, actually. Everyone and everything in the auction hall had been destroyed in a matter of seconds, and Shizuku had almost finished cleaning up. Rein watched the screen, fascinated. The floor had been cleared except for one man, bloodied and struggling to sit up. Rein turned up the volume all the way.

"Who-who are you?" The man took in heaving breaths, arm shaking from trying to right himself while maintaining his dignity. "No matter. Whoever you are, you'll be dead. The community will definitely...They'll kill you. Your families." He gasped, and pressed a hand to one of his wounds. His breaths sounded more like strained gurgles now, desperate to get his empty threats out. "Torture...and cut you up. Hell's pain will-"

Feitan, moved, slicing the man's neck with a clean hit. He turned back, eyes now empty slits. "Family?" He asked, taking time on the word. "What's that?"

 _"...Excuse—"_ She took a hand and started to aggressively poke the screen where Feitan's smug little face appeared. Had he not been with the troupe for the past decade?

"Why? What happened?" Shalnark asked, walking into the control room. "I had to take care of one of the extra guards in the back. What's happening?"

"Him." She jabbed a finger at the screen. "He asked what...He's so..." Rein threw her arms up. "He did it to tick me off, I know he did! That little..."

"Well, it _is_ Feitan," Shalnark tried to reason, keeping his arms out in front of him while approaching her, as if to tame a wild animal. He had absolutely no idea, and at this point, he wasn't sure if he wanted to know.

"But." That's it. She had nothing else. "Fine. But he better be ready for some choice words."

* * *

Back on the hot air balloon, Rein sat cross-legged on its bottom, ignoring Feitan, who ignored her right back. Their talk—or rather, lack of it—hadn't gone well.

Uvogin talked with Chrollo on the phone, saying something about a Judas and a potential traitor to the group. A traitor, for sure. "Traitor to family, right?" She hoped Feitan had heard her quiet comment. He'd better feel guilty, even if just a little.

Rein knew that none of the others shared her view. She knew that in their little circle, she was the only one who thought of them as a family, while the rest of the troupe had been uncomfortable with the idea, or had disagreed entirely. She wasn't even sure where this concept had come from. If none of them held 'family' in high regard, then why did she? She'd been brought up by the troupe, so where had this ideal come from to root itself so close to her?

She knew they weren't family, not genetically, but it was the closest thing she had. She leaned against the basket of the balloon. Like Chrollo said, there wasn't a need for it, not really. But she wanted to be a part of one, and if that was their broken group of thirteen, she would be content with it even if no one else agreed. 

Uvogin chuckled as he put down the phone. "We have permission to destroy them all. All the idiots who're coming after us."

"Can I finally do something?" Rein stood. 

"I don't think wiping them out will be hard. Uvo could probably do it all himself," said Shizuku.

"Yeah. And how are you even here?" Machi asked, uncrossing her arms for once. "Danchou said not to go with us, right? How did you manage?"

Rein straightened. "It was a very long and carefully thought out process, perfectly executed with exact timing. A brilliant escapade in which a master of trickery and a deceiver of fellow liars could flawlessly make a dash for a night of freedom where they can do as they-"

"She jumped in one of the sandbags," Franklin deadpanned, almost smiling.

"I admit to nothing."

"I'm just impressed you managed to say all that! You must have rehearsed that bit a lot, huh?" Shalnark stopped with controlling the movement of the hot air balloon for a moment to ruffle her hair.

Rein swatted his hand away and tried to calm her wild locks. "What is it with all of you and messing up my hair? It is just a Spider thing, or a people-who-are-taller-than-me thing?"

"Probably a combination of both," Nobunaga said, using his sheathed sword to compare the two of them. Rein only came up to his chest. "It's okay kid, you're short now, but at least you can strive to be taller than Feitan."

Icy words flew from Feitan's mouth: "I _like_ my height."

"Being short isn't a bad thing," Rein tried, only to earn a glare from Feitan.

"I am _average height_."

There was a collective snort from the people in the hot air ballon. Uvogin laughed heartily. "For a Perinian woman, sure you are."

"Guys, stop! I'm trying to avoid having us crash and burn before we reach the Gordeau Desert!" Shalnark called out, but no one noticed him. He too started laughing. The light and teasing air was infectious, and the look on Fei's face didn't help. If Phinks had been on board to prod him further, they all would have fallen overboard. "Guys, I-" He bit his lip to stop giggling and gripped the balloon's fire mechanism harder. "I'm serious, s-stop it."

They continued in the balloon, laughing and almost shaking out multiple members before finally reaching the cliff in the Gordeau desert where the face-off would commence.

"I'm never getting in a hot air balloon again," Rein stated, stumbling out of the basket onto safe ground. She tried to smooth her hair, but her fingers kept getting tangled in the knots. Clicking her tongue, she gave up.

"Wow. There are so many cars coming this way!" Shalnark exclaimed, staring off into the distance. Men in suits came out of the cars, armed and angry. They approached the cliff with a haughty stride.

"All this way just to be killed," Franklin grumbled, then shook his head. "It's almost pathetic."

"You guys stay back. I'm going to fight all of them." Uvogin slid downhill, wearing a savage grin. He came to a stop in front of the numerous mafia members, all with their guns trained on him.

Rein's eyes followed him down. No matter how skilled she knew Uvo was, with this large crowd, it was going to take a while, and it would not be pretty. She pushed away from the edge. "Shal, didn't you have cards?"

"I was just thinking about bringing that up. Should we play Doubt?" He held up the deck.

Machi gave a nod. "I'm in."

* * *

"Man, That didn't even get me warmed up." Uvo stood with his hands on his hips, surrounded by bodies with crushed skulls. He cracked his neck and rolled his shoulders, trying to let loose some of the tense energy in them.

Cupping his hands, Shalnark shouted. "Uvo!" He smiled and pointed off into the distance at three approaching figures.

Feitan stood.

"Don't interfere!" Uvogin called back at him. "I still haven't gotten to enjoy myself yet." Three of the Shadow Beasts. They all seemed confident in their ability and approached him without fear. This wouldn't be a walk in the park, but easy nonetheless. He could have some fun with this fight, against someone who would finally pose a challenge.

"Uvo can handle it." Shalnark leaned back on one arm and smiled before turning back his focus to the game. "How about you, Feitan? Want to play?" With no response from him, Shal gave a shrug and started another game.

Rein searched though her cards for an ace. She'd seen one in her deck just a while ago... Glancing at what was supposed to be a King that Franklin placed before her, she scowled. With this many cards, who could she _not_ have an ace? Stars, where was it?

Franklin elbowed her, sending her sprawling to the ground.

Hands bit at invisible grains of sand and she hissed at the sting it left. "Franklin, why?" She looked up, confused at the sight that met her. All were covering their ears, and most were squeezing their eyes shut as well. Only Franklin's small eyes were open, silently urging Rein to follow suit. It struck her, almost too late. Uvo.

An ear-piercing bellow erupted from down below, and Rein pressed her hands harder against the sides of her head. She could feel a warm stickiness leaking from her left ear, seeping through the cracks between her fingers.

"Uvo!" Franklin scolded after the howl had ceased. "You could have warned us!"

A hearty laugh was heard. "Sorry, sorry. But then this bastard would have figured out my plan. Besides, you had enough time to cover your ears, right?"

"Not Rein." Feitan's voice was hardly above a whisper, and it was more mumbling than words, but it could be heard clearly.

"Oh, ha. Sorry, sorry," he apologized, but sorry at all. It had been easy and the rush of adrenaline was slim, but as it always did, the crush of bone and the scent of blood made him feel giddy. "But it was good, wasn't it?"

"Yeah, my ear's bleeding!" she shouted. She reached for the cotton swab Machi offered her and wiped first her ear, then her fingers. "It's fine, Machi. Just a little bleeding. It'll heal pretty quickly." She raised her voice again. "What about you, Uvo? You okay?"

Shalnark was already next to him, and Machi followed. Shal held up a leech so the others could see as they slid down to their level. "These are inside Uvo's body. Once in, these things make their way to the bladder where they lay their eggs. Usually, the hatching causes a person excruciating pain, enough to kill them. But it's fine." He patted Uvogin's shoulder to calm him down. "The eggs only hatch at a certain ammonia level. All you need to do is to evade that. So drink lots of beer. Oh, and pee a lot too!"

"Man, you were starting to scare me," Uvo laughed, but there was no mistaking the relief in his tone. "So it's just that. But I still have the poison in me." He tilted his head away from his injured shoulder. "Shizuku, could you suck that out?"

Shizuku nodded, and stepped forward, conjuring her vacuum. "Blinky-"

She wasn't even able to finish her commands before chains gleaming with aura wrapped around Uvogin's body. "What the-" he managed to get out, before being pulled into the inky darkness. In a matter of mere seconds, Uvogin had vanished.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> wattpad is so much easier to use... but the quality of the things you find here is better (not that i have any time to browse leisurely). I think I'm getting the hang of it. I know what skins are now. I don't know how to use them but i know what they are. (no, i am not running away in fear, be quiet.)


	5. Recovering Uvogin

"Did you see that?" Shalnark's sage eyes were a bit wider than normal, but otherwise, his expression betrayed no feelings of surprise. How did he do that?

"How could I _not_?" Moving of their own volition, Rein's hands squeezed her lucky rock. From the little she'd heard, Uvo was paralyzed and poisoned, not the best combination. Uvo was strong, but admittedly, he was at his weakest when he'd vanished. Gripping hard, she tried to take calming breaths. It wasn't working. He would be fine against any person, but he couldn't do anything about the creatures inside of him.

"Those chains came out of nowhere and wrapped around his body in an instant." Shizuku laid a hand on Rein's shoulder. It was a movement meant to be comforting, but her blunt words caused the complete opposite. 

Shalnark sighed and scratched the back of his own head. "Well it can't be helped... I guess we should go help him."

Feitan rolled his eyes. "Good grief, he's so much trouble."

"I have a lead for now." Machi's gaze was fixed on a point in the distance, finger held up. Her Nen threads. "I used In, so as long as they don't break though that barrier by using Gyo, I can essentially follow them anywhere."

Shalnark let out a quick exhale and returned his hands to his hips, ready. "Okay!Let's catch up before they notice. Franklin," he called back, "we're counting on you for the beer!"

Franklin gave something between a sigh and a groan. "Man, the chase seems more fun."

Shalnark laughed, shoulders shaking, eyes squeezed shut and expression carefree, just as he always did. As if nothing concerning was happening. His laugh cut off, and he was smiling, mop of platinum blond hair swinging over joyous eyes. "Let's go!"

* * *

Rein fumbled with her rock, flicking it into the air, squeezing it, tossing it back and forth between her palms, turning it over and over and over. Anything to keep her hands busy.

"What's on your mind?" Machi switched her gaze over to her. Her elbow was propped up against the widow so her Nen strings held tight while they were pursuing Uvo, but she shifted to face Rein. "Is it Uvogin?" Rein's silence confirmed her suspicions. "Uvo will be fine."

"Against the people who took him, sure, but he's paralyzed and has those worm—"

"Spotted leeches," Shalnark cut in. "Sorry, continue."

"—leeches and if we don't get to them before they start hatching..." Rein trailed off. She shook her head vigorously, almost hitting Feitan with her flying hair. "He'll be fine," she said, more to herself than anyone else. Yet the confidence in her voice wasn't faked. "Machi, how much longer?"

"Given the length of the string that's left, much less than a minute." The taut string suddenly fell loose, pushed back by the wind. "Or now. I suppose that works as well." She reeled in the thread.

"It's fine though!" Shal gestured ahead. "See? We're almost caught up!" Indeed they were. A line of identical cars could be seen just slightly ahead of them.

Nobunaga's muffled voice came from the back. Ah yes, he'd been stuffed in the trunk of the small car, rather against his will. "Whatever! Why are we all in this cramped car? I'm running out of air! Why couldn't Rein have been here? She can actually fit."

"Nobunaga, she's a minor!" Shal said, as if it were the funniest idea to ever cross his mind. "We can't stuff her in the trunk."

"Bear it for a little while longer." Feitan's lip curled at the amount of complaints his comment was rewarded with. Tch. Nobunaga was really quite bothersome.

At a loud thump on the car that shook the passengers, Rein felt Machi's hand tighten around her wrist. Something had landed on the hood of the car...or rather, someone. She was slightly put off at the way his bulbous eyes seemed to look anywhere but at them as he released some sort of screen, blocking their view. Rein got ready to jump, but instead felt a sharp pull at her wrist. About to cry out in surprise, she hit the ground rolling but only went a few yards before righting herself into a standing position. Seeing she was against the rock, she swiftly climbed to its top. The man with bulging eyes was a potential enemy, and she had learned long ago that in a fight, higher ground was better.

The cloth the man had thrown wrapped around the car, shrinking it and Nobunaga in the trunk to a size smaller than some of her rocks. The man picked it up, but seemed surprised upon noticing that most everybody had escaped. "Not so bad, you guys. Given that you were fast enough to open the door and escape in a moment." He flashed an offsetting smile. "I'll be sure to take care."

Rein raised an eyebrow at the muffled shouts coming from the bag. Stuck in the trunk...Nobunaga certainly had the worst position. Rein herself, sandwiched between Machi and Feitan, had only been able to get out because Machi had pulled her along. If she were in Nobunaga's shoes, she most likely wouldn't have been able to even get ready to react before shrinking.

At least it was Nobu. He would be perfectly fine.

"You an interesting ability," Machi remarked, eyeing the flowing cloth.

Shizuku continued: "So you can make anything shrink with that cloth. That would be super handy for theft."

"With that, all the treasure could fit in your pocket."

Shalnark caught up on the hidden reason behind the conversation quickly. His eyes lit up. "Meaning the one who took the treasure from the auction is that guy. He should know where everything is, and be able to restore everything to its original size."

Shizuku brought a finger to her chin. "Danchou said that this man was called... Owl, didn't he?"

A shadow swooped over them, and Rein's attention swung to the men who stood menacingly on the opposite cliff. They were all disfigured in some way, most by surgical implants, she guessed. There was a man with bat wings, one lanky person with various spikes sticking out of him, and one who waved at her with his extremely long and twisted fingers, knuckles popping. Some of it was Nen ability, but it was obvious these men cared more about visual intimidation than they should have put focus on.

The one with beady eyes and thick lips spoke, saying something at how the "famous Phantom Troupe looks so weak" and how "they all look like kids", followed with a "that one is actually a kid".

"Wait..." Shizuku brought a hand to her face after counting on her fingers. "There are ten Shadow Beasts, right? Uvo defeated four, so this should be the rest."

"Strange. The chain user grabbed Uvo and should be escaping by car," Feitan said.

"So the chain user isn't a Shadow Beast?" Machi asked.

"Well." He hanged his head and shrugged, not caring much about the topic. "We'll know if we ask them."

"Should we keep them all alive?" asked Shizuku.

"No," Feitan responded, drawing out the word so the rest of the Shadow beats would hear and listen to his words. "We need only Owl."

Machi held up a finger, readying her threads. "Then leave him to me."

Fei straightened, the slightest shift in movement. He was easing into his fighting stance. "Shalnark, Rein, you just watch from there. I take three. Shizuku can take two." In a split second, the match was done. Feitan shook out his hand to relax it as his last victim's body fell to the ground with a loud thud.

Machi was already behind Owl, strings pressing into his flesh. "Move, and you get cut," she warned, and pulled them tighter in an attempt to steady his body shaking with fear.

She tilted her head at the bodies, looking questioningly at Fei. "What about them?"

"Leave. No point in hiding them now," he said. Let them know they were defeated. Let the mafia now just who they were up against, and how hopeless it was. Let them see and fear.

Shalnark plucked the small bag from Machi's hand, which she had swiped when attacking. "Alright! Before we start torturing this guy, let's free Nobunaga from this bag." He reached to undo the twist.

"Hold on."

He froze.

Machi narrowed her eyes. "We're taking this Owl in the car with us, right? There's not enough room, so just leave Nobunaga as is."

A muffled voice: "Screw that! Hurry up and let me out!"

"I don't want to be cramped either," Rein offered. Even with Nobunaga in the trunk, she, Machi, and Feitan already filled up the back row, and another body definitely wouldn't make it any more comfortable. "Sorry to Nobunaga, but I don't think we're all gonna fit and be comfortable." 

Shalnark agreed, though he didn't voice it. Those Mafia cars really were tiny. He did his best to look the terrified man in the eye. "Hey, can you release the car by itself?"

"I-impossible." Owl clamped his mouth shut at his own shaky voice, but his lips still quivered, damp with sweat.

Machi gave a sharp sigh. "Too bad."

"Can't be helped..." Shal placed the small bag on the road and ran back, observing it as it grew larger and larger, finally spitting out the car in the same state it was before.

With a forceful kick, the lid of the trunk flew open and an infuriated Nobunaga scrambled out. He shoved his face into theirs, eyelid twitching. "You _bastards_! You were making a fool out of me!"

"Troupe members aren't supposed to snap at one another," Feitan warned.

"SHUT UP!"

"Anyway, this ability is handy for our job." Feitan walked calmly towards the car, pushing past Nobunaga as he went.

He gripped the handle of his katana hard. Spittle flew from his mouth as he shouted in the poor man's face. "Shut up! I'm cutting this guy to shreds!"

"No," Feitan drew out, a hand on the door. "He's going to tell us where the treasure is."

"Feitan's going to use his skill at torture." Shalnark patted the man's shaking back as they approached the car, cautious to avoid the threads. "You just have bad luck."

Nobunaga growled as they passed. He swore loudly, voice cracking with fury.

* * *

Rein walked aimlessly through the halls at the base. When she had come back, Chrollo calmly put down his book, pulled her into another room, and gave her a quick lecture on listening to his instructions and how he cared for the safety and preservation of the Spiders and "that includes you to." How much had she listened to? Forty percent, maybe? Give or take fifteen.

She felt Nobunaga's moodiness before she even turned the corner. "Hey! Did you find out what happened to the items from-"

"Shut up!" He snapped. "What is it with everybody and questions? Ask Feitan!"

She sighed as he stormed off, and went to the third floor, the one reserved for Feitan. She knocked on the door frame, or whatever was left of it, anyway. "Hey, Fei. Did you- Oh, Machi."

Feitan continued the conversation Rein had interrupted, not raising his head from his book. "It was no fun. It ended before I'd barely gotten started." He held up a small bag.

"Oh." Machi sounded disappointed. "That's it." She took the bag from Feitan. "We'll take this to the storage basements. Come, Rein."

Rein turned, but her eyes caught on the man in the shadows.Owl, he was called. A bloodied bag was tied over his head, and his shallow raspy breaths could be heard from where she stood. His bare feet, twitching, were bound tightly to the chair he was strapped to. Rein felt a twinge of pity for him. He'd only been doing his job, yet somehow had the misfortune to cross paths with Feitan. And this, most likely, was where his path ended. A few years ago, she might have tried to convince Feitan to spare this man, but she'd learned since then the most merciful route would be to have them die. Chrollo had informed her of such, and after years of watching Fei's techniques at work from afar, she didn't disagree.

"Rein?" Machi repeated, and cleared her throat. "Let's go."

After a second, she tore her gaze off the man and headed out. As they were walking down the stairwell towards the storage basement of the old building, a thought crossed her mind. "Where's Shal?"

Machi tapped at her shirt where her phone was hidden. "He just called. Said he succeeded in locating the community's comm room." They reached the basement level door. A hand on the handle, she looked back and gave a rare genuine smile. "Don't worry. Uvo will be found soon."

Rein fingered a rock; her lucky rock. She didn't remember placing her hand in her pocket, yet there it was, as it always seemed to be for comfort. "Could I come along? I-I'm not worried about him or anything, that much, really, I'm not..." Even to herself, she sounded questionable. She started over. "Okay, I'm a bit worried, but I want to check up on him, so could I go too? Please?"

"Did Danchou-"

"Yes! Yes he did! Phinks is coming along too, as a precaution, but it's a yes right? Since Danchou said yes and all?"

"Of course." Machi finally looked away and opened the door, voluminous pink hair almost poking Rein in the eye. "Even if Danchou hadn't... never mind."

"What do you mean, nev-"

Machi ran to the middle of the room and released the bag, effectively distracting her. As the room filled up with crates full of treasure, she stole a glance the child's fascinated expression, brown eyes wide with awestruck wonder. She cared for Uvogin so much and Machi knew she had been worrying since he'd left. Though she didn't show it, Rein's distraught expression turned her insides. She knew that Rein thought of them all as family, and though she didn't agree in the slightest, the thought was... nice. Rein had been so worried about Uvo and whether he was alright, that...

Even if Danchou hadn't agreed to let Rein go collect him, Machi didn't feel she would have been able to deny her request.

* * *

"How do I look in this suit?"

"Stay _still_ , and we might find out." Machi finished hemming the sleeve and stood back to admire her work. "You look short."

"Machi-" Rein drew out the name, but shrugged at the end. It's not like the woman was wrong. She stopped to admire her reflection in the mirror. "Amazing how you managed to get all this to comfortably fit. This is great. My own personal tailor."

"Don't get used to it," Machi said as she pulled on her own suit jacket. "I'm making sure that we steal more clothing from now on. In such a short amount of time, I had to rush and skip the cross stitches." She handed Rein a pair of sunglasses, dimly glinting from the lamp Machi had used for better lighting. "Here. This should cover up how young you look, at least a bit."

Half an hour later, the group stepped into the building, dressed in black and Rein attempting to look as professional as possible. 

"You haven't killed him yet?" Phinks walked in first, the others following him. He took of his sunglasses with a flair and slipped them into his coat pocket as he observed the room. 

The man stood taller at the sight of what he thought were members of the community. "No. This way." He opened up a metal door, gesturing for them to follow him inside. He approached a table in the middle of the room. "We couldn't get a needle into him, so we used paralytic gas."

Uvogin was strapped onto the table, muscles relaxed. Hearing them enter, he moved his eyes as far to them as he could, and looked at Phinks. He smirked. "You clean up nicely."

The man tried to speak, but Phinks's arm tore through his chest. As he started to go limp, Phinks pulled back, letting the body collapse to the ground. There wasn't as much blood as Rein had expected there to be.

But she took a step back.

Phinks pulled a handkerchief out of his jacket pocket and started to wipe his arm. "I couldn't believe my ears when I heard you'd been kidnapped," he mocked. Finishing with his arm, he put on his pharaoh-like head covering that he'd hidden on his back. There. Now the job felt official.

The others started to take off their disguises as well, pulling off wigs, fake mustaches, glasses, and some changed out of their suits, revealing their normal clothes underneath.

Rein released her hair that had been pulled back into a ponytail, and ran a hand through it once to have it back to its normal bounce. She ran a finger over the sunglasses, but didn't move them from their perch on her nose. They were nice, she thought to herself as her gaze moved to the table. He wasn't moving, wasn't talking, and was the most relaxed (of course it was a forced relax from the gas) that she had ever seen him; But it was him, it was Uvo. They'd gotten him back.

With a nudge of reminder from Rein, Shizuku moved to Uvo's shoulder wound. "Blinky, time for work." The vacuum cleaner appeared in her waiting hands. "Suck out the poison paralyzing Uvo," she ordered, and was done in an instant.

Uvogin let out a quick groan, and flexed various muscles, busting out of his restraints. Using his free arm, he continued to rip off clamps and tubes until he was free. He sat up, rather slowly. He took in a deep breath.

They all covered their ears.

The volume of the curses flowing out of his jaws was enough to shake the building.

"I'm going to make that chain user pay..." he growled, pupils dilated and aura flaring up. His body shook with pure fury. He went to the door and kicked it open, smashing the wall with his head where the door frame was too small for his large figure. "Where _is_ he?" he shouted.

"He ran away," Shalnark stated, but at a distance so as not to enrage him some more.

Shizuku came up behind Shal, hands clasped behind her back. "It's because you were too loud, Uvo."

Phinks stepped out of the hole in the wall. "We'll be heading back. We've completed the job."

"We also dealt with the Shadow Beasts," Machi said, following him.

"And we got a hand on the treasure, didn't we?" Shal grabbed Rein and gently pushed her toward the exit. "Let's leave now."

"No!" Uvo exploded.

Rein's brows furrowed. "U-Uvo?" she asked quietly.

He turned back, gnashing teeth and still furious to the core. "Tell Danchou I won't go back until I settle a score with that chain user!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There are too many spiders and they canon-ly take too many turns talking. bdijnkhbjhb


	6. Lost Rocks (and Lost Rein)

Uvo tossed yet another empty can of beer over his shoulder, and Rein heard it clunk against the lifeless body of the poor alcoholic's house they had invaded. He hadn't had any time to react at all before Uvogin snapped his neck with one hand.

Leaning forward from her place on the bed, she glanced into the dim hallway, illuminated with the soft blue light of the open fridge in the kitchen. The man lay awkwardly on the ground with legs twisted underneath his body, open eyes almost obscured by the rolling can that had just bounced off his head. The body was so still, so quiet, so unfeeling. So lifeless.

She drew back and settled comfortably on ratty sheets. 

Rein had always been wary of dead bodies up close. Not wary, exactly... disgusted, maybe? She knew it didn't make sense. She felt the same way with dead humans as she did with any other dead thing, be it roadkill, the corpse of a fly hanging in a spiderweb, or an insect crushed on the ground. She felt nothing, but with a twinge of something that always bothered her, tugging at her insides. And she couldn't make sense of it, not one bit. If she was perfectly fine with a living body, what was it with dead ones? Hanging limply, being still, or having blood, these were all things that living people could do as well. The living and the dead, they could look exactly the same at times, so why was it different? She'd been exposed to death before, and she;d been taught how to kill. She could definitely do it herself. She could kill, so why did she always get a creeping feeling up her spine at the sight of a body; at the result left over?

She shook her head to clear her thoughts.

Eh, she'd figure it out another day.

"This is it!" Shalnark exclaimed. He leaned closer to the computer screen, which he had opened up to the Hunter website. "Uvo, the building you were held in is owned by a dummy corporation for the Nostrade family."

Uvogin leaned against the window. "Can you get a list of the buildings that... _Nostrade_ family owns in this area?"

"Of course!" He gave a quick thumbs up before turning back to tap away at the keyboard. "I can also see if anyone's checked in using the Nostrade name in any hotels nearby."

It was during his typing away that Franklin walked in through the open door, dozens of cans cradled in his massive hands. "I got some more beer," he announced. He dropped them all to the floor, handing one to Uvo who took it gratefully.

Shalnark spoke up. "Uvo, why don't you get a Hunter License?" He scrolled through the website and pointed at various paragraphs of otherwise classified data. "From the Hunter site, as long as you have money, you can get all sorts of information!"

Uvo scoffed. "Unlike you guys, I don't like the idea of money. If there's something I want, I take it." He downed another can and wiped at his mouth. Hard to believe he wasn't drunk yet.

"How splendid, the model thief!" Shal exclaimed, barely looking away from the screen. The computer beeped. "Here we go. They own two other buildings, and there are three hotels where members are staying." Swiping a pen and notepad off a nearby table, he started to jot down the addresses, mumbling to himself while he did. "With this," he ripped off the paper and held it in the air, "it should be a fairly easy search."

Uvo snatched the paper from his fingertips. "Thanks. I appreciate it." Grabbing the side of Shalnark's head, he aggressively pulled and pressed his lips against Shal's temple with almost the same amount of extreme force.

"Wh-" Shal clapped a hand to the side of his face, shocked. "What was _that?"_

Rein leaned forward, fingertips touching. "Have I just witnessed the bubbly, happy-go-lucky, calm Shalnark Ryusei be _flustered? _" She narrowed her eyes. "Who are you and what have you done with Shal?"__

__"Aw, shut up," he said, waving a hand in the air. He was back to his normal self. "Also, I am not happy-go-lucky. The term implies that I am not concerned about the future, and-"_ _

__"I'll be going, then." Uvo grabbed two cans of beer off the ground and started to head for the window. "Later, Happy."_ _

__"I am _not_ happy-go-lucky!"_ _

__"Wait!" Rein shouted, then jumped off the bed towards Uvogin. "Wait! I ..." She started to open up her arms, then paused._ _

__Was Uvo safe? Sure, he seemed calm on the outside, and he'd even messed with Shalnark, but that didn't mean that he wasn't a ticking bomb waiting to explode. For all she knew, she could be the trigger that set him off, and she didn't want to get on his bad side. It had happened before, just a few months after she had lost her memory. She didn't remember much of what led to the events, but she did remember his sharp words and almost being hit by a swinging arm. He'd apologized later, saying that when he was angry, he didn't have the best self control. He'd even offered to leave that night if she didn't feel safe around him anymore. Much to his delighted surprise, she'd forgiven him._ _

__It had been years since then, and she felt that they'd grown even closer, but still, whenever Uvo was angry, she tended to get nervous._ _

__Suddenly clamming up, she fingered her lucky rock to help her and shook her head clear. She needed to talk. The entire reason she'd insisted on coming along. Why she'd wanted to be with Uvo, to wait for the right moment. "I was worried when you..." She tried not to mention the chain user. "When you disappeared, and I couldn't talk to you and you were so mad... I'm just happy we got to you before the leeches did." Rein hugged him, arms not even reaching halfway around his middle. "I'm glad you're okay."_ _

__"Y-yeah." He ruffled her hair, unsure of how to respond. He'd known something was off with Rein. So it had been his outburst from earlier after all. He mentally cursed at himself. He should have remembered that she got nervous when he was angry. Keeping himself calmer around Rein; when he came back, he'd be sure to work on that._ _

__Dropping the beer, he grabbed her waist, throwing her into the air with enough spin to make her flip multiple times. He caught her again, Rein now a bundle of shrieking laughter. Setting her on the ground, he rested his fingers in her hair, which now stood up from being mussed. His classic gift to her: Uvogin-style hairdo. "I'm glad I'm okay too." He picked up two new cans and headed to the windowsill. "See ya," he said, and tensed his muscles to jump._ _

__"Uvo!"_ _

__He stopped, and turned his head quizzically back to Shalnark._ _

__Shalnark locked eyes. "Don't act careless," he warned, fingertips turning white from gripping the side of the desk too hard. He widened his stare, eyeing Uvogin intently._ _

__Pushing off, Uvogin disappeared into the night, again._ _

__Letting out a quiet breath he didn't realize he'd been holding, Shalnark sat back in the chair. Like he'd said before, he wasn't happy-go-lucky. He just happened to be skilled at hiding his anxieties. Still, he worried for his comrades, but no one would ever know how much he did. At times like these, he tried to let his fellow Troupe members know he was concerned; tried to make them understand weren't unstoppable or invincible. They all had their weaknesses and limitations. Shalnark just wished they could see that and take more caution before it was too late._ _

__* * *_ _

__"We're back!" Rein ran into the building, leaving Shalnark and Franklin in her dust. She sped through the halls, heading towards the floor reserved for her, the fifth floor. On the fourth though, she turned a sharp corner and almost crashed into a mass of light blue hair and cloth. Rein gave a short yelp before pushing herself off the ground and out of the way. "Kortopi! You fine?" She stood. Who would've thought she'd run into someone so early?_ _

__"Ah, hi Rein," he said, not at all fazed. He looked her up and down with his bulbous eye. He cocked his head. "Where is your rock?"_ _

__She blinked. "My what?" Shoving her hands into her pockets, she felt around, growing more frantic by the second._ _

__"Your rock, the one with aura that you claim to be lucky," he elaborated as she searched._ _

__Rein turned her pockets inside out and canceled all her conjured nen rocks, leaving only about half the pile to work with. She sifted through the remaining pile, but her rock was nowhere to be found. "Where _is_ it?" No light brown, no speckles among veins of quartz, no water-worn smoothness. She looked through the pile again, but she knew it was a lost cause. Her rock wasn't there._ _

__"Rein, I..." Phinks turned the corner, then stopped. "What the heck." He backed up, more for show than anything else. "Kortopi, what's happening?"_ _

__Kortopi shrugged._ _

__"I wondered what racket was." Feitan dropped himself from the nearby window he'd suddenly appeared in. His feet made no sound as they hit concrete. "Of course. Rein."_ _

__"Could you maybe-"_ _

__"My rock!" she cried, cutting Phinks off. "My rock, where's my rock? The one I hit you with, the one with the aura and the perfectness and the spots! Where is it?"_ _

__"Just..." He held his hands out in front of him. He didn't know what to do. How did people deal with panicking kids? "Calm. Down."_ _

__"I..." Rein leaned against the window Feitan had entered the hallway through. She started to ramble. "I don't, I mean, I had it with me while we were looking for Uvo and I'm sure I had it when we got him back...yeah I did, because I had it later when Shalnark was looking for the addresses. So when did..." She froze. "Oh. Oh man." She dragged a hand down her face._ _

__When Uvogin had thrown her into the air, she'd flipped. At least three times. Normally, this wouldn't be a problem for her other skirts as her pockets could be clipped shut. But she had a new skirt, and she hadn't attached clips to it, assuring herself that Machi would be able to show her how to add button-close flaps for her pockets. Ugh. It had fallen out._ _

__And she wanted it back._ _

__But she had to verify its location first. Crossing her legs beneath her, she closed her eyes. She enhanced her En, then split it up into small dashes. There were now eighteen fragments of concentrated En positioned around her, and they flattened out into a different technique. With a push, she sent them away from her body, all in different directions._ _

__"Chi," observed Feitan._ _

__She nodded, lips pursed. If she wasn't concentrating, she wouldn't be able to feel if any of her nen dashes sensed her rock nearby, and she could only send them so far. If her concentration broke, her dashes would fizzle out, and then she would have used a lot of her aura energy for nothing. But if one of her dashes did find the rock, then she would know almost exactly where it was, as she would be able to sense it as soon as her Chi did. Rein bit her lip. It had been a while...maybe her dashes had missed? Granted, this method covered a lot of ground, but there was a high chance of missing, a very high chance. She could only go for a few more seconds before she had to give u—_ _

__"I got it!" she announced. She pushed herself to her feet and pointed out the window. "Just a ways that way."_ _

__As soon as she took a step, Phinks moved to block her path. "You're not thinking of going, are you?"_ _

__She pushed him out of the way. "Of course not, I'm just taking a stroll in the general direction that just so happens to be where my rock is."_ _

__Phinks scowled. "You're staying here. Danchou's not letting you go, and besides, you're not nearly ready to do this on your own," he managed to get out before he was interrupted._ _

__"Don't be stupid." Feitan made eye contact with Rein for a second before glancing away. "If there's danger, back down and return. If anything happen we'll have to help you, and that's troublesome. So be fine."_ _

__She gave him a slow nod, almost in disbelief. She hadn't expected him, of all people, to be the first to let her have her freedom. "Sure."_ _

__Feitan held Phinks back as she walked off, until they could see her exit the building and head in the direction she had pointed in._ _

__"Should we tell Danchou?" asked Phinks, staring at Rein, who was getting smaller and smaller as she started to pick up the pace. Eventually she broke into a sprint, quickly vanishing into darkness._ _

__"No, Kortopi already go." Feitan felt a slight tug at his lips at how Phinks swiveled around to check, dumbfounded. It looked so stupid. "Besides, Rein is growing up. She can handle it." Then his taunting smile froze to his face. Rein didn't know how to evaluate a situation properly. If she encountered danger, would she know when to run? Even if she did know when... would she? That brat really didn't know when to do what._ _

__Feitan spoke, not sure whether it was for himself or his comrade. "Rein will be fine."_ _

__* * *_ _

__Rein ran through the desert in the direction of her rock, but her mind was elsewhere. Chi was a technique that allowed one's aura to cover a lot of ground by stretching it out very thinly. It was a form of En, except Chi was weak and almost 2D, and En was immediate and worked in 3D space. Chi was effective _theoretically_ , but so far she'd barely even mastered using it on her lucky rock, and she'd first started using the method years ago, when she discovered Kortopi used the same method to track his fakes. Not only that, but even when she practiced, it took a lot of her aura energy to accomplish it because it traveled such long distances. _ _

__She skidded to a halt. Funny, her Chi had notified her that her rock was somewhere around this area, but she'd never been there before. This was foreign land to her. Had she misread the information? How could her rock have possibly come all this way?_ _

__A deafening landslide shook the ground, and Rein's gaze shot its way. Upon hearing a voice bellowing from the canyon, she immediately ran to the edge, crouching between a few boulders that had been split open by a powerful force, but hadn't yet fallen, teetering on the precipice. She peered through a crack in between two boulders._ _

__She caught a glimpse of a tall, thick figure, with well-defined muscles and furs hanging off of his hips. His silver hair stuck out in the way her hair often mimicked it, and seemed to shine white from his sweat._ _

__Uvogin! She nearly jumped to shout his name, but she noticed another person standing off against him before she could go through. She'd caught herself just in time; if she showed herself now, she would have disrupted the fight, and Uvo never liked that._ _

__Uvogin's opponent had pale hair, with low hanging bangs that swished every time he moved. It was hard to tell from the distance, but he seemed to be wearing some sort of white tracksuit with rune-like designs, and a dark pile sat on the ground a bit away from him—his coverings, she guessed. He lifted his steady arm, and even from her place, Rein could see how the moonlight glinted off metal when his hands moved._ _

__So this was the chain user._ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chi is something I made up myself, but if the name or technique happened to match up with someone else's, I apologize. It was not my intent, as I haven't read anything with this nen concept in it.


	7. Of Chained Hearts

Letting loose a roar, Uvo punched the ground, creating a cloud of dust large and thick.

When he moved, Rein saw something caught in his furs. In a short instant, she could see it drop to the ground before the smoke screen obscured her view of Uvo. Could the item have been her rock? Maybe her rock had fallen out of her pocket while Uvo was flipping her in the air, and it had landed on him. There was a slim chance, but it must've been as it was the only explanation as to why she'd been drawn to the middle of nowhere. Ugh, but now she couldn't see what was happening, and she couldn't be sure of that. He would act soon, while the chain user was blinded. She had to be down there by then. Then she could search for her rock and watch the fight at the same time.

Well, mostly the fight.

What? Uvo was fighting. This would be interesting, and an excellent time to learn from one of the best.

Using the dust as a cover, she jumped and landed, trying to do so as softly as she could. She skirted around the cloud, careful not to disturb it lest one of them noticed a shift in dust (and in turn, her). She hid behind another set of boulders and crouched with one knee on the ground, pressing her eye to the crack so she could follow along.

A loud hit and the crunch of bone rang through the air, and Uvo laughed as the dust settled. Above, the chain user was sailing through the air, arm swollen red and limp. "This time I crushed your arm." Uvo grinned. No one could withstand his full strength Big Bang impact. "But I'm impressed! You reacted quickly. I'm guessing you noticed the slight shift in smoke when I moved."

"I'm impressed as well," the chain user called back, still flying through the air. "I didn't expect you to know how to use In." He landed gracefully on the high cliff despite his shattered arm. "Striking the ground to create a smoke screen was intended to conceal both your physical body and presence. However," His hair and clothes waved in the wind as he lifted his arm. "I too, can use In. Can you see them?"

Quickly activating Gyo, Rein could see what the chain user had been hiding. Rows upon rows of chains, wrapped every which way around Uvo's body. They snaked around his legs and pinned his arms to his sides, rendering them near useless. 

"It appears you can use Gyo as well." The chain user jumped to Uvo's level, his chains shortening as he went. "These chains were fortified with a Conjurer's Nen, meaning I can use In to render them invisible."

Uvo narrowed his eyes. "So you kept the chains out to trick us into thinking they were real," he loudly summarized, projecting his voice. Summarizing, why was he doing that?

"Precisely," said the chain user. "I pretended to be a Manipulator using Nen-controlled chains, so my enemies would only be alert to the visible threat." He tilted his head down, eyes taking on a dangerous gleam. "And my bluff just paid off. While you were making empty threats, my chains were already wrapped around your body." Flicking his fingers, the chains tightened and proceeded to press into Uvo's skin so that they almost made red marks on his rock-solid body. "Capture complete."

Rein could see Uvogin trying to burst out of the chains, but no such luck. Why wasn't he using some Nen, or some other ability to break free? And even if he didn't, he should have been able to break his chains as conjuring unbreakable items was impossible. But the chains held an unusual amount of Nen. With that, the chain user's defense should have been nonexistent, yet he had been able to hold off Uvogin's attack and had only emerged with a broken arm. He should have been blown to bits. Besides that, only an Enhancer would have been able to barely have come out of his full strength punch alive, yet the chain user had emerged with minimal damage. 

The chain user was a mass of contradictions against everything she had been taught. If it wasn't supposed to be possible, where was all his power coming from?

"I see you're having trouble understanding," his voice cut, and her breath cut short before realizing he wasn't talking to her. "Before sending you to the other side, let me show you." Reaching his bare hand to his eyes, he removed his contacts.

Rein's eyes widened, but she stayed frozen to her spot behind the boulder. She couldn't be sure from her position, but his eyes seemed to shine a clear red. Or... a scarlet? Like... like how...

She held a hand to her own eye and focused back on the conversation, which had progressed without her noticing. She shook her head. No more distractions, starting now.

Uvo was giggling manically, teeth flashing and bared. "I'm getting fired up. Your grudge or my power, let's see which is stronger!"

"Bastard," the chain user growled. "Is that _all_ you can think about? You'll never be able to break these chains!"

Rein could see Uvo try. His muscles flexed and his veins popped, his cheeks reddened with the effort, teeth gritted in strain. Letting out a roar, he stopped and bent over, taking a gasp of air. Uvogin seemed to be struggling. _Uvo_. It didn't make sense. Normally, he should have been able to break his restraints in a heartbeat, but the chains pressing into his flesh were as tauntingly present as ever. "Why? What's wrong?" she wanted to ask, but she kept her mouth shut.

She didn't have to speak, for Uvo voiced her questions in her place. Why was he talking so much? The normal procedure went so you didn't engage more in conversation than in combat unless you were sure of victory. Talking while fighting when you were losing was just kind of... dumb. At least it was giving her more information on the Chain User's abilities and such, but he didn't have to waste time on such things. 

"When my eyes turn scarlet, I become a Specialist," the chain user stated. He raised his voice. "When I am a Specialist, I wield full control over every category of nen. This is my power, _Emperor Time!"_

A bead of sweat dripped off Uvogin's jawline. "A Specialist?" he echoed. "You can control every other category one hundred percent?"

"That is correct." Using his free hand, he tore off the sleeve of the forgotten shattered arm. A chain lengthened and dropped from his fingers, glinting as it bounced and came to a halt. The newly dropped chain slowly rose up and wrapped itself around his arm, barely brushing skin as the cross at its end came to rest on top. In a burst of aura, the arm that had once been swollen and bruised beyond repair healed in an instant. "Even a broken arm will be completely healed with my Enhancer's Nen."

Had he kept from healing himself for this moment? Just to make an impression and to prove a point to his victim? No, Rein quickly thought. Uvogin was not a victim. Why wasn't Uvo just getting it over with and winning already?

"There were a number of reasons why I chose you to be my first target." The chain user's hand was steady, and the chains tightened just a bit. "While you fought the Mafia and the Shadow Beasts, the others showed no signs of interfering. This told me you preferred to work alone, and they had full trust that your strength would prevail. I prefer to fight one on one. That made you the perfect target: an Enhancer with full confidence in his offense and defense. You met every condition I needed for my first target, because then I could test if my Chain Jail would be effective on the rest of the Troupe. Chain Jail forces Zetsu upon any Troupe member it ensnares, and also paralyzes them. Zetsu nullifies aura, meaning to break these chains, you would need to rely on physical strength alone. If the Troupe member with the most strength cannot break the chains, the others will surely not be able to break free of Chain Jail."

Uvo clenched his teeth and fists, and Rein's body followed suit. So that's why he hadn't been able to bring up aura, why he was still stuck in those dangerous chains. Forcing Zetsu on those caught... the chain user had thought this through. Most of any Nen user's skills and power stemmed from aura, so once sealed off, the power once relied on would be utterly useless.

Which meant that Uvo... that Uvo...

Moving swiftly, the chain user punched Uvogin in the stomach.

Uvogin's eyes bulged as he stumbled forward. He threw up blood.

Blood.

"It seems as though my enhanced fist is slightly stronger than your physical brawn," the chain user observed, fist brought up to his chest. "This is valuable information. Provided I've chained them, I can beat every Troupe member barehanded." He glanced up, eyes once again gleaming cold and dangerous. "Tell me everything you know." Noticing Uvo's hesitation, he punched him again. The blood that was spit up splattered onto his forehead. "Where are the others?"

Uvo gazed at the ground, thick blood spilling from his lips. He couldn't look up. "Kill me."

The chain user punched his upper arm. With a grinding twist, it shattered just like his own arm had been. "What abilities do they have ?"

His own breath would have shuddered at how he was acting, but it remained strong. "Kill me."

He scowled, and the flurry of punches began.

* * *

Rein pressed a hand to her mouth. She wanted to look away. She wished she was blind, that she didn't have eyes, that her sight would suddenly vanish and never return. But with each punch and the overwhelming amount of gushing blood, her eyes only went wider and wider, and she remained frozen in place.

The strikes continued. Rein had lost count a long time ago. Blood once again spilled onto the ground, and her eyes burned, but they didn't close, and her body didn't move.

The chain user paused, fist clenched tightly at his side. "It makes me sick." He lowered his head, hiding his blood-stained face behind low bangs. "The sensation left on my hand; the grating sound of each strike. The smell of blood! It throws all my senses into disarray..." He whipped up his head, red eyes shining with hate. "How can you do these things, yet feel and think nothing at all?! _Answer_ me!"

Barely moving his lips, Uvo answered. "Just kill me." The next word was so quiet, so soft and broken that it was barely registered, but it was there. The small _"please."_

His hand snapped forward and a new chain shot out, puncturing Uvo's chest. Blood started to seep into the white cloth. "Last chance. I've placed a conditional bond upon your heart. If you break the rule I set, the chain will activate, and your heart will be crushed. The rule is that you must answer my question honestly. Abide by that rule, and I will allow you to live a little while longer. Where are the other Spiders?"

With a chuckle, Uvo straightened as much as he could. He grinned, blood dripping through his clenched teeth. "Die, fool."

* * *

His heart squeezed and twisted. Warm blood spurted out of the hole in his chest as more came up his throat. It spewed into the air, arching violently before splattering back onto his own face. He felt the chains clink together as his heart ceased to be whole.

Surprisingly, it didn't hurt as much as he'd expected.

As he started to tip, his gaze darted to Rein, hiding and frozen stiff behind the boulders.

Run. She had to run. She had to run and let the rest of the Troupe know, so they could all destroy the chain bastard. He'd done all he could to ensure that Rein would hear about the chain user's abilities. He'd succeeded in making the chain bastard go on and elaborate on his skills and had gotten him to explain it nearly in full. She had to take it and run. She had to escape and let them know.

She had to run.

Run...

* * *

He crashed to the ground face first.

"Uvo..."

Her lips quivered.

"Uvo, no..."

The chain user looked her way, startled.

Choking back tears she didn't know she had, she pushed off the boulders and started to run. Away. She needed to run away, she needed to be anywhere but there, from the mass of body on the dusty grey rock. Anywhere but there.

The chain user leapt down in front of her, blocking her path.

Her eyesight was blurry, but she could still see shapes and some color. She flung her rocks in his direction, aiming for his thick head, or his cruel heart. She would be able to hit him. She had to. She would land a hit on him, she would kill him, kill him and all would be fine... She _felt_ her nen rocks breaking before she heard them being crushed by his chains.

"What are you doing here?"

She couldn't respond.

"Are you a Spider?"

Wiping at her eyes, Rein shook her head yes, then no, then yes again, so much so that the world swirled below her and she stumbled in an attempt to regain her balance. Shaking her head wasn't helping. Why wasn't it working? Why wouldn't her feelings go away? Feelings remained. Her throat started to ache, to burn from the inside. Painful emotions. She wished she didn't have a heart to feel them with. No heart.

"Are you a Spider or not?" His tone was cold. "Answer the question. You're wasting my time."

With a final wipe at tears, she felt a sudden strength empower her. It took control of her voice, shouting: " _Why?_ Why did you kill him? Not only that, you tortured him! He was weak! Was-wasn't... wasn't that enough? Enough for you? It wasn't a fair fight! Uvo wouldn't...he would never...Even _he_ wouldn't render his opponent helpless to do anything! No one just-"

She froze.

She dropped to the ground, gravel biting her knees. She gripped the sides of her head, words gone. Hypocrisy or not, it all left her now.

The world blurred once more.

"Your eyes." His voice shattered her thoughts. "They... look up again."

With a final bite to her lips to keep them from shaking, she did. She rose to her feet, steady as ever. She readied her rocks, almost setting them ablaze with the amount of Nen they were holding.

"Your eyes are red," he breathed.

"Your hands are red," she spat back, only taking a glance at his blood stained fist before looking away. "What's it to you? You think I'm a demon or something?"

"A...A demon? A demon," he whispered. "No, that's not it. Tell me, do you know of the Kurta Clan?"

She threw a rock: a curveball. Surely he wouldn't be able to dodge a curveball. She sent another squadron his way, firing just like she had with Phinks earlier in the week. He wouldn't be able to block them all. Her Nen fueled rocks fired nearly fast as bullets and packed a slightly stronger hit. There was no way he would be able to block and crush them all without taking some damage.

He could and did.

"Do you know of the Kurta?" he repeated, shaking out her rocks from the holes of his chains.

She watched as her attack dropped harmless to the ground. "The...Kurta? No."

A silence. The chain user took a breath, but hesitated on his words, lips wavering with no sound coming out. Eventually: "What is your relation with the Spiders?"

Her breathing hitched. Spiders...Uvo... She shook her head violently— don't think, don't think. Don't think about...that, don't think! Thankfully, this time it seemed to work. The only tears remaining were the ones drying on her cheeks and the ones still inside. "Why should I tell you? What do you have against the Troupe? Why did you have to ki-"

Tears welled up and she struggled to keep them from spilling. "To... to..." She willed her knees to stop shaking. She could not be weak here, not here. Rein had to defeat him, but if she couldn't, she had to run, to warn the others about this chain user, find a weakness, and destroy him. They had to. It was revenge, of sorts. Yes. They would defeat him, and everything would be alright, maybe Machi could sew Uvo's heart back together and everything could be normal. She could watch baseball again while yelling at the screen and Uvo could teach her other throws so she could improve on her throwing arm, and she could hug him again and have her hair spike up in mimicry of his. Yes, things could go back to normal, they could be normal and whole and strong and happy...

She didn't the notice the tears plop down to stain her skirt.

"So you do associate with them. Yet you do not seem to be a member." He flicked his wrist forward, and a chain shot through the air.

Rein brought her rocks up to her chest, but the chains punctured not only that, but the skin underneath. Nen chains wrapped around her heart.

Would she die here?

"You surely know how this works. Break the rule I set, your heart will be crushed." His hand shook for a moment but immediately steadied. "The rule is that you may not inform any of the other Spiders to my abilities."

She waited for more, but none came. That was it? "Why?"

He cocked his head.

"Why? You aren't torturing me, or hurting or pressing for information." Idiot, what was she saying? Did she _want_ to die? "Why is my rule so easy? Why aren't you threatening me? Why not me?"

He pursed his lips. "Go now." He pulled back, and his chain disappeared. "I hope we meet again." 

She wanted to kill him, she did. But she couldn't see, and she couldn't stand right, and she was barely holding back her insides from spilling out. She wanted to fight him, but she'd used up a lot of her energy on her Chi, a stupid technique that would never work with her. She wanted to wipe his very much alive grimace off of his face. But she was making excuses. Next time would be different.

She fled, lucky rock forgotten.

Stars, it hurt.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> :D


	8. Screaming for Isolation

"So in other words, we _don't_ know what happened to Rein," Franklin summarized neatly from his spot on the cement block.

"That... pretty much sums it up, yes." Shalnark scratched at his head. "However, we can take some reasonable guesses and deduce from there." It had taken a while for the Troupe to meet together in the main room after he had highlighted just how serious the situation could be. Rein had come running in, pushed them all aside, and had made a beeline to her floor, to the room reserved for her. Even Phinks hadn't managed to catch her to demand what had happened, as she'd resorted to kicking him in the shins to make him let her go. Her actions, the timing, her words. The entire thing was just too strange for it to be nothing of significance.

"She's crying. She hasn't stopped since she ran in," Shizuku remarked.

"Wrong." Paku continued to polish her pistol, but her eyes were unfocused, dazed. Her hands moved but she was elsewhere. "She stopped, once."

She bit the inside of her lip. She had been startled when Rein had run in, tears streaming. She'd never seen Rein—always full of sweetness, smiles, laughter, childish confusion, innocence, playfulness—she'd never seen that Rein cry before. All she'd wanted to do was to help, to pull Rein into her arms and give her a hug, to see what had happened with her psychometry... but she never got to. She hadn't even been able to talk to her, or even get close to her.

_Get away from me!_

Her posture remained rigid, but Pakunoda wanted to curl in on herself and never open up. Quickly, she stifled that childish feeling. Forcing her shoulders to lower in an attempt to relax, she allowed herself to put down her pistol. It shone even in the dim light. "She's not allowing me to touch her and check."

"So there's something she doesn't want us to know about." Shalnark brought a hand up to his chin. "Rein is usually a open person. So this event that happened in the last hour was so... traumatizing, or of such a great scale, she wishes to keep secret, or there is something keeping her from sharing it with us."

"A threat?" Shizuku asked.

"No." Feitan entered the room, hands burrowed deep in his pockets. No one could see how they were clenched tight. "If it was a threat, we can silence them easy."

"Ah, Feitan!" Shalnark gave a lighthearted smile. "How's Rein? Have you gotten her to talk?"

"Tch. You make it sound like I'm torturing her." The air in the room suddenly stiffened, and he let out a short sigh. He rolled his eyes. "She's not talking. Kicked me out. Screamed some nonsense and about wanting to be alone."

Nodding slowly, the smile on Shalnark's face drew into a thin line. "So this is where the investigation ends, I suppose."

"Not quite yet." Chrollo leaned forward from his place at the head of the room and clasped his hands together. "Rein comes back crying and refusing to let anyone know of what transpired. Around the same time as her trip, Uvogin should have had his fight."

"Ah, with the chain bastard he kept ranting about!" Shalnark exclaimed, though his cheerful tone seemed a bit strained.

"A chain user... He's either a Manipulator or a Conjurer. Uvogin is a dominant fighter, but in a one-on-one fight, he is most vulnerable to these two categories. The amount of Conjurers who give special powers to the things they create are many. Some of those abilities could render Uvo helpless." The chain user was most likely a Conjurer—that was a safe assumption to make. Yet, if he wasn't, their views on his powers would be skewed by their former delusion, giving the chain user the upper hand. If he was a Manipulator... "And a Manipulator could control Uvo himself."

Shalnark clenched his fists by his sides, gaze intense. His usual smile was nonexistent. He let slip a swear.

"Danchou." Machi raised her head. "So you're saying that Uvo fought, lost, and Rein saw all that?"

"I am just stating it as a possibility."

"That would explain her..." Nobunaga lost his words. The chances of Uvo losing to anyone was slim, yet the chain-user had proven his strength. Capturing Uvogin with such confidence and treating him in such a way that he felt compelled to track him down and finish him off _with fury and respect_... If it hadn't happened, Nobunaga wasn't sure if he would have thought it possible. Uvogin should have won the fight, that was just logic. But if he'd been caught in some dirty trick, if there truly was something to those chains that could subdue this monster he'd befriended over the years, if the chain user could possibly defeat Uvo like Danchou had implied—Uvogin could die.

He could already be dead.

Not that he was actually considering that a likely possibility, but nothing was one hundred percent certain. And if not a death or trauma, what else could make Rein cry? "That would explain her situation," he finally finished.

"It's not impossible, but Uvogin is a pretty strong fighter, right?" asked Shizuku. "Could he really have lost?"

"Maybe," Feitan answered. "Unlikely, but it can happen." He cast a glance in Pakunoda's direction, who was absentmindedly fingering her gun once more.

Pakunoda. While her soft spot for Rein wasn't up-in-your-face obvious, anyone who witnessed them interact could tell that she deeply cared for her. Feitan knew Pakunoda would never admit it out loud that clearly, but it was true, and she didn't hide the fact. The first few weeks after they'd taken in the six-year-old bundle of disaster, he'd seen how Pakunoda subconsciously moved in front of the girl when she was intimidated, or pressured the more rash Spiders to be cautious around her, or even just sat next to her to talk. Since then, Paku had stuffed those feelings lower into the bag, but it was fairly plain to see that she cared. Cared a lot.

Back in the truck, Rein had said "Love you too." What did that mean? Even if she had only said it to Feitan at the time, he knew that she would have said just as much to Pakunoda. Fitting, as she returned those feelings.

Paku might have been one of the few who openly supported that fact.

Shizuku crossed her legs and obliterated everyone's thoughts: "So, what now? We don't know for sure what happened." Tch. Shizuku. She couldn't perceive anyone's feelings, how right now, the tension in the room was much too high for her dumb and blunt question.

"If he doesn't return by dawn..." Chrollo looked up, rich black eyes slicing straight ahead. "There will be a change in plans."

* * *

She grappled around her skirt pockets. Her rock wasn't there. She gripped another one, but it wasn't the same. It wasn't. Nothing was the same anymore.

Her tears had long gone, but she still felt the stiffness on her cheeks, the burning in her throat. And how her eyes wanted to close. She wanted to sleep. She hadn't been able to say anything today, but maybe tomorrow, she could ask Machi if she could sew Uvo's heart back together, they could go back and Uvo would rise up, and...

Through she didn't admit it, she knew it was a lost case. Even _if_ Machi could raise the...those gone, they'd have to find Uvo first, and Rein didn't think the chain user would just leave his victim out in the open for anybody to stumble across. But even then, Machi wouldn't be able to. She wasn't magic.

So... Uvo...

"Rein."

"No!" she screamed. She gripped the sides of the bed, trying to keep herself from scrambling backwards like she had done before. White sheets bunched up around her fists, she took a deep breath. Her heart rate slowed, but she still couldn't look up when she answered: "Please stay away, Paku."

She took a step forward instead. "Rein, I don't know what happened, but you should share trauma with your lov—peers. Your peers." She reached forward, arms open and palms facing her. "You don't have to talk, just let me sift through your memories. It's okay R—"

"No!" Leaping up and pressing herself against the wall, she struggled to swallow the scream crawling up her throat. "No!"

Pakunoda's eyebrows raised questioningly. Her foot slid forward, and she entered within arms' reach.

"No!" Rein kicked up the blanket. "Don't _touch_ me! Stay away!"

A stifling silence almost crushed her lungs. Pakunoda tried to breathe, but her silent gasps only got her so much. "I see." She lowered her arms and her head, light bangs shadowing her face. "You want to be alone."

As soon as she had slipped out, Rein allowed her knees to buckle. "I'm sorry," she whimpered into the empty room.

Why was she acting so strangely? Was this an effect of the chain? Or maybe the true fear of death after she'd witnessed one? Before, she could have claimed she was comfortable with the idea of death. She knew she would die someday, but now, with its threat alarmingly present... she wasn't so sure.

If this were under normal circumstances, she would have accepted Pakunoda's touch, no doubt. But the circumstances were nowhere near normal, and neither was Paku's power to read minds. Rein had seen the chain user, and had heard about all of his abilities. She even had a Nen chain circling her own heart, the one which would kill her instantly should she leak any information on the chain user's abilities to the Troupe. But she didn't even have to willingly say anything to die. If Pakunoda touched her, at all, that would be her end.

As soon as this was all over, she would hug Pakunoda and be sure to not let go. She would explain the situation and tell her how much she cared and reassure on all points. She knew Paku tended to overthink. They would be—did she dare say the forbidden word?—family again.

She couldn't lose anymore, not now.


	9. Crashing Through Time

"Is she coming out of her room?"

"Take a wild stab at it and let's see where that gets you."

"So no." Shalnark sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. "No progress whatsoever. Is she alright? We don't know what happened, but judging by how she's acting, its clear whatever this is has impacted her quite badly. Danchou said this might have something to do with Uvo, but on percentage of chance alone, that seems highly unlikely. And," He raised a finger. "No matter how silly this sounds, we also have to consider the possibility that perhaps her behavior is a withdrawal symptom from being separated from her lucky rock."

Machi eyed him, waiting for sound reasoning behind his words. When she got none, she spoke slowly: "There is no 'we' in this. And that rock idea..." She shook her head. "Just no."

A small snicker escaped his lips. "I guess that was a pretty stupid theory." He slid to the floor, leaning back on his hands. "In hindsight, I suppose I was just spitballing."

"Hm," said Machi. Reaching up, she slipped off her fuzzy blue scrunchie, bright bristly hair falling down in a spiky, hardened veil around her face. She swept a few strands out of her eyes so they stuck away, instead of poking out her retinas. In vain, she tried to smooth down the bump at the back of her hair, an eternal compliment of having been in a ponytail for far too long. Giving up, she instead adjusted it so it fell comfortably upon her tracksuit. Satisfied, she lowered her arms into a crossed position.

"What's with the getup?"

With the slightest of shrugs, she said, "Nobunaga and I are going into the city to draw out some person who's got their eye set on capturing us. Orders. I don't understand why we can't just kill them, though."

Shalnark was silent for a moment, then snapped his fingers. "Because Uvo."

Her eyes widened a bit at the realization, but her usual lack of expression never left her face. "They might be associated with the chain user?"

"And in turn, might know something about Uvo, meaning we can get information out of them," Shalnark added, nodding. "But this plan. It seems to me like its riding too heavily on the assumption that something negative happened to Uvo. We don't know anything for sure, and Rein is only adding to the confusion." He cocked his head. "Do you think Uvo is okay?"

She pursed her lips. "Maybe."

He waited. "Elaborate?"

"It seems unlikely. He's a strong fighter, but that chain user was able to capture him, right? And I'm sure the bruise Uvo got was from the chain user too, so he must be pretty powerful given that he was able to injure him while his entire Nen was focused on defense and preservation of his body."

He blanked for a moment. "A bruise?"

"Yeah, on his nose. The chain user must have broken it before Uvo used Enhancer abilities to heal it." This time, it was Machi who cocked her head. "Didn't you notice?"

"I..." Shalnark nibbled his lip. He _hadn't_ noticed. Of the Spiders, Machi was one of the most observant, so it would make sense she'd notice the faded remains of a broken nose, no matter how fixed up Uvo had gotten it before they had arrived. Not to mention Machi was always patching the other Spiders up after intense battles as well, so she held an unusually keen eye for this type of thing. Shalnark doubted if any of the others had noticed the bruise. Machi was the only one of them who would have been able to tell Uvo had been hurt. Only Machi was capable. That was just a fact.

Still...

Sitting up, he struggled to keep his smile under her observant eye. He gripped his arms hard in an attempt to keep them from shaking, fingertips paling with the pressure.

Why couldn't _he_ have noticed?

* * *

Rein looked at the clock. Had three whole hours gone by while she stared? Granted, it was the clock that had been hanging in the room since the Phantom Troupe moved in for the temporary stay, so she wasn't sure how old it was, or how reliable. Still, three hours?

Her gaze didn't waver, and soon another half hour had passed.

Huh.

Time flew? Another thirty minutes came and went. No, time moved. It was just her. Frozen in time or speeding it along, she couldn't tell which was which, or which one she was doing. But she could do it for a little while longer, she decided as the minute hand continued to glide in its perpetual circle.

A knocking came at the door. "Rein?"

Blinking away a haziness, she turned her head to the aging door, it's rusty hinges threatening to fall off from the impact of the pounding. "Phinks?"

"You, uh..." He cleared his throat from the other side of the closed door. "I see you didn't eat your lunch. You must be hungry by now, right? I've got some dinner right here. It's just a little, but you know how much Franklin eats. He inhaled half of everything Paku and I brought back from our shopping spree in seconds, I swear. Nobunaga was yelling at him to leave some for the rest of us, and his face turned all red like it always does." He chuckled for a while, but quickly withered in the silence Rein returned. "Um."

"It's okay. I'm not hungry."

"Oh." Silence. "Well... if you want more food just let me know, 'kay? I'm going to leave now. If you need anything, just call." He paused, and Rein could almost hear the teasing grin on his face. "Although, with that weak voice of yours, I'm not sure whether your screams are even gonna leave this room. You might just have to come crawling to my hall to even get a whisper through to me. Heck, you could shout straight in my ear and I still wouldn't hear anything!"

"Okay." Rein poked at her sheets and started to adjust her gaze to the clock once more before Phinks' voice made her stop.

"Rein. This..." His voice cracked and he cleared his throat. A thump sounded as he rested his hand on the door, waiting. "This is where you're supposed to chuck a rock at my head." His shallow breathing filled the emptiness for a few moments before the door hinges creaked as he finally lifted off. "I'm going to go now. Eat if you can."

"Mm." His feet padded into nothingness, and Rein brought her attention to the clock again.

The minute hand ticked by. It was nice to know that in the crazy world, something still stayed the same. A clock had a schedule, and followed it down to the second. It never strayed, there was nothing unexpected, no sudden sadness or tragedy. Just quietly did the same thing as time went on, for eternity. Rein blinked and tilted her head at the clock. It was very nice. Serene. Not a sound to be hea—

A kid fell through the ceiling, crushing the wall with the clock along with it. Groaning, the kid sat up in the rubble, shaking debris out of his fluffy white hair. "Man, that hurt."

She blinked. "You just fell through the ceiling and had cement fall on you. I'd be surprised if it _didn't_. Also," Rein held up a stiff arm at the sight. _"What the heck."_

The white-haired kid reared his head up, shock clear on his face until it melted into suspicion. "Who are you?"

" _You're_ the one busting into _my_ room, I think I should be the one asking that question." Rein crossed her arms and kept a calm expression, and though every thought in her head was mostly unintelligible screaming, her body stayed relaxed. Finally a new thought: Even she was surprised by how she was reacting. Was this a side effect of a loss? Did nothing faze her? After wishing for no heart to feel emotions with, this sudden change in her was surprisingly nice. It seemed like someone else had taken control of her body, and was doing a good job at piloting it too. "You ruined the clock, not to mention," Her gaze flew to the wall that had been crushed under the weight of the collapsing ceiling. "Not to mention you tore a hole in my wall."

* * *

Killua narrowed his eyes at the girl, who was rambling on about how he had broken her wall and how the room was a mess and couldn't he have at least spared the lovely clock?

Her hair was a muddy brown, cropped at the shoulders with strands hanging and flying all over the place. Bobbing up and down and swishing in a messy yet fixed bell shape, it caught his attention more than her words. It seemed to defy gravity, coming inches away from her scalp in unbelievable fluffiness.

Not as fluffy as his, of course, but it came pretty darn close.

Was she a member of the Spiders? That was a possibility, but Kurapika had said there were 13 members, twelve "legs" and one head, the leader. Kurapika had already killed a member as the chain user, and the Spiders had clearly stated their leader was out. Which meant back in the room that he and Gon had been brought to, all the others had been accounted for. He certainly hadn't seen this girl among them then. Was she a prisoner? Maybe.

Certain the girl wasn't a member of the Phantom Troupe, Killua brought his focus to observing her.

She seemed to be about his age, or younger. The only part of her outfit that stuck out was her vivid, red, flannel skirt, which appeared to be weighed down with something, though what that something could be was a mystery. The skirt ended at her knees, but he could tell some of its length had been due to being stretched from having the weight in her pockets. Even her gray sneakers popped in the dim room because of the neon orange laces attached to them. Heck, her solid black t-shirt stood out because of who it was on. At first glance, the girl didn't look that much, but her aura (both literal aura and figurative) drew your eyes.

The way her words droned on and on didn't suit her bounciness, but honestly, he didn't care. "Hey."

She looked his way.

Killua sucked in a quiet breath. Her eyes were moist, dark circles hanging under them. He guessed she hadn't slept well since yesterday, maybe even before that. Her eyes were rimmed red, but... was it only that? He could have sworn he'd caught a flash of scarlet in her irises as well, not just around her eyes. Scarlet...eyes... like Kurapika. But his entire tribe had been wiped out by the Phantom Troupe years ago.

"Do you want to come with us? Me and my friend are escaping right now, but if you want to tag along, I won't mind." Killua gave a welcoming smile and held out a hand, but he was watching her every move with extreme precision. If she came along, he could figure this out on the way.

But if she didn't come along, he did have one trick up his sleeve. He attempted a smile, but it came out a smirk.

"Well? You coming or not, Kurta?"

* * *

Kurta... That word again.

The chain user had said that.

Rein dropped her feet to the ground. They felt incredibly heavy. Perhaps it was because she hadn't slept at all yesterday. Quickly, she swooped down and plucked a few small pieces of debris from the ground that looked like they would be able to be smoothed into perfect throwing stones later. She approached the boy and tapped his shoulder. "The exit is _that_ way."

She took one step in the direction she'd pointed and froze. Protected from chunks of aging cement and gray dust by the rickety door was a tray of food. A tray of bread, some fruit, and a bowl of brownish stew with chunks of potatoes and carrots floating on the surface.

Phinks.

Had he left the food there for her?

"Um." The kid poked the back of her head with extreme force. "You okay? You don't seem to be in top-notch shape. If you're too weak, I could leave you behind, or carry you on my ba—" He froze upon seeing her face. "You're crying."

"What? No, I'm not," she argued, but with a wipe to her cheeks, her palm came back damp.

"Yes, you are."

"Well, I'm fine. I can carry myself." Moving ahead, she ignored the boy who was squatting on the ground in a position where she could climb onto his back. She bent down and held up a roll of bread to her mouth. "Come on, staircase is that way," she said through a mouthful, drawing up.

"Geez, fine. Take the lead, Kurta."

Rein shook her head, and sped to the staircase.

This boy knew of something called the 'Kurta'. The chain user had mentioned it during their encounter, meaning he had some sort of relation with it. And if both of them knew, then this white-haired boy—who probably weighed a lot more than one would realize—could lead her to him. He would lead her straight to the chain user.

She clenched her teeth at the thought, but relaxed when the boy looked quizzically her way.

 _Do you know of the Kurta?_ No, she didn't. She had no idea who or what it was.

But she would find out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shalnark is baby and so is Phinks. I actually like Phinks a lot but not a lot of fics seem to have him around as a solid character? idk. he's going to have his moment to shine in this fic, sneak peek.  
> Also, KILLUA IS OUT. He crashed through the ceiling... I think the weight of all those choco-robos are finally getting to him.


	10. Reminders and Truth

An ear-splitting gasp rang through the air.

 _"Killua!"_ A boy sprinted toward the pair, waving his arms with unbelievable energy and shouting as he went. "Where were you? I was worried! Why were you so late? And..." He skidded to a halt when he was next to the white-haired boy, casting a wonder-filled look toward Rein. The boy leaned toward the other's ear, which was half obscured by white fluff. Pointing a not-so-discreet finger at Rein while trying his best to whisper, he asked: "Who is that?"

The white-haired boy sighed and flicked the other's forehead with so much force that he stumbled before regaining his balance. "Idiot." He glared. "You shouldn't be shouting in enemy territory. If we get caught again, then this escape is meaningless."

"Oh." His eyes seemed to light up as he turned to Rein, changing from a scolded dog back to his former awestruck person in an instant. He bounced on the balls of his feet once, loaded with the energy of a puppy. "Well, you've already met Killua, and I'm his best fri-"

" _Idiot._ " The fluffy white-haired boy hit his head once again, this time with his entire fist. As the boy rubbed the reddening spot on his forehead, Fluffy grabbed both the boy and Rein's wrists. He pulled them forward and he started to run. "That means we escape _now_. Talking comes later."

* * *

"Man." The boy looked over his shoulder back at the base as they continued to run, corners of his lips curled into an annoyed frown. "I wanted to beat that guy up."

"That would have been impossible," his friend shot back, glancing at him for a moment with insanely blue eyes. "He'd have fought you off and killed you easily."

He stuck out his bottom lip in a small pout. "One hundred percent sure?"

A tall fence came into view, dark wires crisscrossing into simple diamond shapes. With a boost of aura to her feet, the girl leapt over, running her hand down the fence as she finally came to a crouch. The boys followed suit, and Rein found herself trying to shine back at Puppy Eyes' bright expression. His eyes were wide, warm with a promising spark of fire in them. Like a... puppy. There really was no other way to describe him. To put it simply, he was adorable, but calling him that would be weird. Thus, the nickname.

"Definitely impossible," the other responded. He pushed himself to his feet gracefully. "There's no way that we, only knowing the basics of Nen, can even think of going up against them and coming out unharmed."

He dusted his hands off on his shorts, and grinned. "You finally sound like yourself again!" He stuck out both of his arms toward his friend, palms open and facing up welcomingly. "Saying crazy stuff is my job. Your job is to stay cool and stop me. So I'm counting on you!" He hit the fluffy-haired boy on the shoulder as he started to run ahead once more.

"Tch. You're so selfish," he called as he started to go after him.

Rein raised an eyebrow. This banter. She hadn't heard any in what seemed like ages. It was a nice change, though she still wished to go back to her room.

The sky was teetering on the edge of day, the last rays fading out but not quite gone yet. Dipping darker and darker, but still clinging onto sunlight despite the fact that the sun wasn't in sight. How long had it been since... then? Stars, Rein wasn't even sure what time of day this was. Dusk? Twilight? 9:00 ish? If only she had paid attention to the actual time of the clock instead of just observing its movement, then she could have known about what time it happened to be. Ugh, but her clock had been crushed by... She glanced in his direction.

Upon noticing her gaze, he raised an eyebrow. "What."

"Fluffy, you owe me a clock."

"Did you..." He stopped running for a moment, and blinked, slightly shaking his head. "Did you just call me _Fluffy?"_

Oh stars. "Um." Rein curled her lips up into a sorry excuse of a smile in an attempt to smooth the matter out. Upon noticing her crumpled version of a true smile wasn't operational at the moment, she gave up trying to pull it off and shrugged. "Yes? I just, I, I didn't catch your name, and your hair is just so-" She bounced her hands around her own head while staring at his. "-floof. The nickname seemed reasonable to me."

"Tch. Of course that's what you come up with. My white hair. Every single person. Even if I don't use conditioner, the ladies always want to play with my hair, and—whoa, whoa, WHOA." He grasped the wrist of the hand which had been slowly making its way to his hair. His puppy-eyed friend drew back the hand and smiled sheepishly at the low growl emanating from his throat. "Don't touch my hair."

"Sure, Fluffy," his friend teased, rewarded by another flick on the forehead. "Ow..."

"Killua," he stated, turning to Rein. "It's Killua. And my hair doesn't make my character, you know. I have an _actual_ name. Killua. Remember that."

"And I'm Gon!" the other boy shouted, still rubbing at the injury. "Ow..." he whimpered one last time. Slowly prying his hand away from the red spot on his forehead, he smiled at Rein. "Do you have a nickname for me?"

"Yes, Puppy Eyes. But it's nice to know your actual name," she said, and starred to jog once more to get them going. She allowed them to move in front of her and slipped back a bit to think things over. Okay, so the one with fluffy white hair and intense dislike of his nickname was 'Killua', and the one with jet-black hair, big, eager, shining eyes and an ever present smile was 'Gon'. She would try to remember those names, but she didn't expect it to be hard. They did remind her of certain people after all.

Fluff–er, Killua, seemed to mirror another cold, calm, and distant individual she knew. Which made her wonder: was this Killua a killer as well?

"Wh-what?" Killua said a little too loudly at something Gon had whispered in his ear. He quickly glanced back Rein's way before he calmly melted back into his closed form, shoving his hands into his pockets. "Tch. No." He hit the side of Gon's neck with enough force to send him stumbling. "Definitely not."

Feitan. Definitely Feitan. She hadn't been listening to the conversation, so she wasn't sure what Killua had been objecting to, but one thing was certain to her now. The way his eyes were always set in a disinterested yet calculating look, the way he was brutally straightforward in his answers, the way his head moved to show the little emotions he was feeling while the rest of his body remained rigid and unreadable. Those "tch"s when he was annoyed. Sensitive about his hair. That same lilt in his voice, albeit a tired and brash one that rung in your ears. She wouldn't be surprised if Killua was a Transmuter as well. And... She glanced at Gon, who was chatting away at his friend with no intent of stopping anytime in the near future. He even had a loyal companion who was an—excuse her—"idiot", to put it in both Killua and Feitan's words.

Speaking of Gon.

Who was he like? His demeanor was far from that of any of the Troupe members', but he was similar to different people in varying points. That same dogged persistence as Phinks, though how it was used was wholly different. The same cheerful and fiery glint in his eyes as Shalnark. And that smile... Rein looked at the two of them. As Gon continued to converse with Killua, he threw his head back and let loose a laugh, smacking Killua's shoulder exactly as he'd done before.

His grin was spread ear-to-ear, causing deep dimples to form while his expression spread across the rest of his face. His canines glinted even in the dimming light, teeth seeming to have a shining personality of their own. The smile was pure and genuine, infectious and lighthearted. And while the cause for his joy may not have been much to anyone else, it was obvious it meant something to him, and the grin which radiated his happiness pierced light into even the darkest of places. Smile shining, it was plain for the whole world to see. Not holding any bit of his emotions back. True and honest. Loud, but sincere.

Before she'd known it, the world had blurred around her.

Stars.

She wiped her eyes before either of the boys could notice.

He had the same smile as Uvogin.

* * *

"Oh!" he shouted in alarm. Gon whipped around mid-conversation, jogging backwards now so they wouldn't lose time as they were heading to where ever they were headed. "We never got to hear your name!"

Rein blinked. "My name?"

He nodded, and moved to her side as they continued to run. "I'm Gon, this is my best friend Killua, and you are?" He cocked his head questioningly.

"Oh. Um."

Would she lie? True, it was better to not have them know her real identity, just in case it led to any complications in the future. Once she lied, it would be harder for them to pinpoint when she wasn't telling the truth, which she predicted she was going to be doing a lot. She had to. She hadn't come to be friends, though Gon sure seemed to think she had. She'd come because of something called the "Kurta", which that Killua boy knew about, and in turn would lead her to the chain user. To get to her goal, lying was the best and most logical option.

Still, looking at that honest and sincere smile, she couldn't help but give the one answer she shouldn't have.

"Rein."

Idiot! Why had she said that?

"My name is Rein."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Killua=Feitan, Gon=Uvogin?  
> What do you think of these parallels?


	11. In Midnight Smoke

The girl seemed to falter a bit before giving her answer. "Rein. My name is Rein."

Killua's eyes narrowed momentarily before he caught himself and slipped back into indifferent coolness.

Was she telling the truth? When he first saw her, she'd been in a room, isolated and clearly in emotional pain. Based on only that, he would have assumed that she was being held against her will by the Troupe. But she had been free to leave the room. The door was rickety and unlocked, the room had basic needs, and there had been food waiting outside of the door, still giving off wisps of steam. She hadn't been mistreated. So while she didn't seem to be _lying,_ she had been in the Spiders' hideout as something other than a captive. He was positive she wasn't a Phantom Troupe member, but there was a chance she could have been working with them... A child of them, maybe? Or manipulation? What if it was a Nen ability? If it was a Nen ability, they were done for. The Phantom Troupe was talented beyond belief. If any of their Nen influence had made it here, there was no telling what information had already been leaked. Their names, approximate ages... heck if they could see through her eyes, hunting them down would be easy! The swordsman Nobunaga was looking for them. He wanted them in the Troupe, and Killua didn't think he would give up right away. They had to be careful.

But if the girl...

"KI-LLU-A!" Gon tapped Killua's forehead with each syllable. "Are you okay?"

"Wha-" The girl—Rein—was looking at him curiously, and he froze under her eye. Was she a spy? One of the Troupe? Perhaps she was nothing more than a Nen puppet by one of the more skilled Spiders. If any of the above was true, he had to be careful of what he said or did, and the same went for Gon. But for that, he had to find an opportunity to tell Gon of his suspicions. To do that, he had to remain calm and act like nothing was wrong, at least until she left them alone. Calm. "Yeah, just blanked for a sec."

"Oh. Anyway." Gon pulled his hand back to his side. "Killua, what's your favorite animal?"

"When the _heck_ did the conversation turn to this."

Rein shrugged from behind Gon. "I like... monkeys, I guess? Birds?"

"I like _everything!"_ Gon smiled and threw his arms into the air. He paused before looking back down. "And yours is...?"

Killua turned away and laughed to cover up the fact that he was still furiously thinking behind his mask he was putting up. He put a hand to his head and made his shoulders shake.

He was probably overthinking this. Gon's absurd question helped him to snap out of his mental rambling. Most likely he was overthinking this, but it was better safe than sorry. Assuming she had positive connections with the Phantom Troupe, she would have had a motive to come along with them and abandon the rest of the Spiders so abruptly, which meant they still had to be careful about what they said and how they said it. Whenever she gave any sort of response, Killua had to see, hear, and analyze it.

It was probably nothing.

But if it was anything else than that, they would be in big trouble.

"Killua, you still haven't answered."

He tried to glare but ended up laughing, for real this time. "Cats."

* * *

The train ran underground, rumbling as it rushed ahead. Rein hadn't ridden one before, and the shaking was more nerve-wracking then she'd thought it would be. It was almost as if the separate cars were barely able to stay together, and with every bump, irrational images of the train falling apart jolted her insides. It made her more nervous than she'd expected, but it was still exciting. Scary yet fun. Her stomach turned inside out, but it was good, like riding a roller coaster.

Not that she knew. She'd never ridden a roller coaster either, but she suspected the feeling was about the same.

Though on a roller coaster, she didn't think she would be watched so carefully.

She glanced at Killua to her right, who stayed stock-still while staring at the ground. His eyes stayed fixed on one point on the metal flooring, not something that would happen if he really was staring into space. If he was just staring into space, his eyes wouldn't be in such focus, but rather more dazed. She let out a short and silent exhale.

That fluffy-haired Feitan wasn't fooling anyone.

Rein had noticed Killua observing her every movement, though he did a very good job of hiding it. He really was exactly like Feitan, only more prone to smiling and laughing and overall happiness. How they covered up their observations was different, but when she met their eyes on accident, they turned their head the exact same way in a crude attempt to stop her from thinking that they had been observing her. It happened less often with Feitan, because he was more experienced and watched her behind his bandana from the corner of his eye. Killua was less experienced and only had his fluffy hair and his smiles to hide behind. She'd caught Killua staring in deep thought multiple times before he'd gotten more careful.

The intense look with a meaning: to evaluate her strength and analyze. Why would he analyze?

No matter the answer, she needed to be careful. She was here for the Chain User. For Uvo. She couldn't let these two boys know of her true intentions. To find that Chain Bastard, and finish him off. She'd ki—

The train shook beneath her feet and sent vibrations rippling to her core as a muffled boom sounded in the tunnel. Metal wheels screeched on railing as the train came to an abrupt halt.

"Stars, does this normally happen?" Rein blurted, gripping a pole so she wouldn't crash into Gon and Killua.

"Not really," Gon answered, though it came out sounding more like a question. He opened his mouth to say more, but an announcement from the conductor cut him off.

A beep sounded. "Currently, all trains have been stopped. For your safety, please wait patiently. Thank you for your cooperation." Another beep ended the announcement.

Frowning, Gon dug his hand into his pocket and pulled out a stag beetle.

...Wait.

"H-hey!" Rein staggered back, staring at Gon's hand. "Is, that, don't..." She started over. "Don't tell me you stuck a beetle in your pocket."

"What? Oh, this!" He held it out to her, ignoring how she jumped back and seemed to hiss at the object. "It's not a beetle. It's my phone. See?" He entered his password before showing her the gradient blue backdrop of his phone.

"A." Rein blinked. She allowed herself to relax. "A phone." Closing her eyes, she let out a sigh of relief.

"Yeah, Killua has one too! Our friend was able to bargain for us and got a pretty low price."

"Wait." Her eyes snapped open. "Why in the world would you choose that design? Of all things? Not that I'm criticizing your taste or anything, even though your taste obviously has something wrong with it, but _that? That?"_

Gon nervously chuckled for a moment before holding up a finger to explain. "This phone is pretty bulky and expensive, but our friend said that it's really high quality and other cool stuff that makes it better. Like it normally has great reception even in the countryside." He looked down at his phone and frowned once again. Gon showed her the screen. "Except my phone isn't connecting from down here. I guess we're too far underground." He turned to Killua. "And we don't know when the train will start moving again..." He trailed off.

Killua closed his eyes, shaking his head slightly. "It can't be helped... guess we'll go run."

Pushing open the side doors, Killua and Gon leapt out and started to run through the dim tunnel.

"Hold on!" Rein called, but they were already far ahead. She gripped the door. "Stars, they're fast," she muttered.

"Hey, you! Keep up, would ya?" Killua's voice echoed. "We don't have time to babysit you all day!"

With those words, Rein pushed off, feet furiously pounding earth and metal as she caught up to them. "Where are we running to?" she shouted straight in Killua's ear, loud enough for him to slap his hand to the side of his head.

"Just shut up and run, loudmouth!" he spat back, palm still covering his ear.

"I have a question, so answer it, Fluffy!"

"I don't have to!"

"I can make you talk!"

"Is that a threat coming from a puny midget?"

"Are those angry words I hear from the literal dirt I walk on?"

"Wow, shouting back a question in the same format! Real original!"

"Why are we yelling?" Gon yelled.

"Gon, stay out of this!" Killua barked.

Rein snickered, then immediately slapped a hand to her mouth. Did she just laugh? She fingered her lips. Stars, she was smiling. She was actually smiling. She hadn't teased anyone in what seemed like forever, so she supposed that maybe this suddenness had made her kind of happy. Well, 'happy' was stretching it a bit, but this change in her feelings was nice. Her fingers brushed her lips again. She was smiling. She was actually...

Her expression froze and slowly melted away.

After what had happened that night, what right did she have to smile?

Reaching into her pocket, her hands frantically searched for the rock that wasn't there. Comfort. Stars, why hadn't she gotten back the rock when... _that_ had happened? She grappled at other rocks and pebbles, but none were her lucky rock. Hesitantly, she drew her hand out of her pocket. She shouldn't be doing this while she was running. Tripping was not an option. She would get over this. Sure, her lucky rock wasn't there, but that wasn't a big problem, right? It wasn't. She knew it wasn't. It wasn't. It—

Her eyes started to sting, and she rubbed at them. Now, of all times? It was nothing. It wasn't a big problem.

* * *

Somehow, she forced the tears back down.

They finally found a station and were able to run to the surface, and continued to go wherever they were going. It occurred to Rein that she'd never gotten an answer on where. No matter. As long as she followed Killua and Gon, they would lead her to the Chain User eventually, even if their destination now was different.

The sudden cold air cut into her lungs, burning and making her warm as she continued to run. She caught a whiff of smoke. Smoke? She slowed to sniff the night air.

"Do you smell it too?" Gon asked.

Rein's eyes widened. "Yeah. You can too?"

He shrugged. "Yeah, but you're the first person I've met who's shared the same acute sense of smell." He sniffed, his nose pointed straight up into the sky. "Something is burning."

"Probably a car crash or something," Killua said. "But that has nothing to do with us. For now, we need on focus on getting back."

Gon nodded. He tapped Rein on the shoulder to remind her to get moving, and they started running yet again.

Those two may have brushed off the smoke as something small, but Rein thought differently. Gon was wrong on one point. She had been able to smell the smoke, and she was amazed that Gon could as well. But she didn't have his incredible sense of smell, her senses were just honed to picking up traces of destruction. It often surrounded her, so she was used to it. And this?

This wasn't a car crash.

Smoke of flesh, of car lacquer and metal, of wood and cloth and gunpowder. Burning of this level only got her one answer. The Phantom Troupe had made an attack, probably in retaliation of Uvogin's death, a warning to all and an offering to him. The others were already doing something for Uvo, and she wasn't there. If it was something big, she probably just would have been in the way though...

She looked to the dark and depressed sky, hazy with the aftermath of destruction. Now, she couldn't be with the Troupe to help in their tribute to Uvo. She couldn't mourn with them. But in her own way, with her own methods, she would avenge him.

Properly.

* * *

Only about a five minute run from the station, Rein found herself following Gon and Killua into a hotel, to a higher floor, down a carpeted hallway, and finally to a door with golden numbers hanging next to the handle, paint flaking from the metal with age.

Killua whipped out a card from a hidden shirt pocket and unlocked the door to the room. "Hey, Leorio! We're back..."

All three stared at the sight before them.

"What the-"

Killua's next word was drowned out by the passing train, which had finally started up again.


	12. Sunshine & Lollipops

Feitan growled angrily and tried to shake his bangs out of his eyes. The mafia man before him had him at gunpoint, ordering Feitan to tell him everything he knew about the attack. The man demanded to know who he was with, and their motive, shaking the gun in front of him as if it would persuade him to spill information. If he didn't do so, apparently he would be "granted a slow, painful death." A weak threat if he ever heard one. 

He lowered his gaze and in a split second, was behind the man with claws raised. 

He would show him how to interrogate properly.

Digging his sharp nails into the man's flesh, he took his arm and twisted it behind his back. When the man started to blubber empty threats, he gripped harder and yanked, a loud crack echoing in his ears before the man started to scream from the pain. He rolled his eyes. It was just a broken arm, he could suck it up. Kicking in his kneecaps at odd angles, Feitan brought him to the ground. To pull out information from a captured person, you didn't threaten them with a weapon. That was for the weak. Torture was the way to go.

Still, the mafia lackey wouldn't stop. He kept choking out meaningless threats between his screams and begging for Feitan to stop. He was starting to get ticked off. He tortured him for a few more minutes to see if it would lighten his mood, to no avail. Too bad. 

Cutting off his final head for the night, he started to head back to the Cemetery Building for the auction, though still unsatisfied by how he felt. His nerves were still tingling, his hair stood on end with static, and his eyesight blurry and itching from the smog. His head, still muddled. 

Rein had said "love you too".

Scowling, he buried his hands in his pockets and slipped deeper into his slouch. Why couldn't he get it off of his mind? Why did it still bother him?

It wasn't anything big. It was nothing. Just something she had said, no big deal. She didn't say it so often that you doubted whether it was the truth or just another way of saying goodbye... but he had heard her say it before. Sometimes, not a lot. He estimated only about once or twice a year, she would turn to someone in the middle of an activity or a conversation, smile, and say "Love you!" or something along those lines. Then she would go back to whatever she had been doing, or changed the subject before the person she'd said it to had time to recover.

It was nothing.

It's not like it was the first time she had said it to him or anything. He certainly hadn't been waiting for it. He didn't feel touched. It meant nothing to him. Words exchanged. Conversation. Just words. He'd been using words for a while now and he was fine, so there was no reason that should change now. Then...

Why did he feel this way? When he thought about it, his insides felt like they were constricting and his face went numb. A wave of... some emotion washed over him, and the corners of his mouth began to twitch upwards. He looked pathetic, so he hid it best he could—which was near perfect.

But. Though he hid it when others were around, when he was alone, he took down the mask and immediately his face turned into a bumbling, idiotic, fool almost like Phinks. He looked pathetic, _but_ on the inside, he almost felt...

Happy, he guessed? He didn't like it. Maybe thinking about this rationally would help calm him down.

Rein had said "love you too". What did that mean?

"Love". So she held some sort of affection, and given that the Spiders were the only people she associated with, it was only natural that her affection towards them was the strongest. With no one else to care about, that much was obvious. Who else could she be talking about? She'd been isolated from outside influence since they'd brought her in. She claimed to care for the Troupe members, and it was probably true.

"You". Him? Feitan? Feitan Portor? Well, yes, he supposed. She said it to him, after all. But why him? He must have been one of the last ones Rein had said those three words to, which made sense because he hadn't actually interacted with her. That is, before she announced that she would tag along with him and Phinks for the separation. Phinks had readily accepted, giving him no say in the matter. They'd been together for months of intense training and honing of her overall skills, and in those months, they exchanged more words than they had in all the years she'd been with the Troupe. Finally, when it had become time for the Spiders to meet again, Rein said those words. Back in the car, when he'd near threatened her, she said it. Had Rein grown attached to him, or had it been like that from the beginning?

Feitan needed to shake his head to clear his thoughts. He almost winced when he realized that it was the exact same move Rein used to clear hers. So Rein's affection towards him had grown over the months, and he'd started to pay more attention to the kid. Her actions, tendencies, her little quirks. How she clenched her teeth before she attacked. How she always took a step back from a body right after it had died. The way she shifted her footing before delivering a kick. How she snuck her hand into her skirt to grab her rock when she felt uneasy, how her nose wrinkled at the sight of insects, the little glint in her eyes before she started to tease. He'd noticed it all. That didn't mean anything to him.

It was just analysis.

Finally, "too". Rein had said 'love you too'. She claimed to love him in addition to others, others being the Phantom Troupe. So this "love" wasn't a one time thing, instead it seemed to be ever present, spreading from person to person but never getting becoming reduced in quantity for anybody... if that made sense.

It didn't. No sense whatsoever. Feitan tried to think about what he had just thought, but he couldn't remember.

Square one. Love came, and it stayed whether you liked it or not. So not only was this able to stay for extended amounts of time, but it could be shared with multiple people, as he saw with Rein. But loving more people didn't mean she loved any of the individuals less. After she had said "love you too", she still interacted with the others like she always had, so she still loved them to the same extent. Did it grow, or maybe there was an infinite storage of it stashed somewhere...

Ugh. This was giving him a migraine. He kept bouncing the word "love" around his head, and it was making him sick. He should really stop thinking about her words, but it had been days and his mind still lingered on the topic when he was idle.

It was affection. Period. That simple, but his brain didn't get that yet. Stupid caring and sunshine and lollipops; those things weren't the world. The world was so much more than all of that sweet, naive stuff. The world was a place with hating, darkness, and everything other than lollipops. There were always problems. He clearly had other things to think about—important things—but no, his brain always just redirected him here. Caring and sunshine and lollipops could go take a jump in the trash can.

It's not like Feitan didn't care for his fellow Troupe members. He did. But to say it out loud, so boldly—he could never. Rein and Feitan's feelings for the Troupe had to be different _forms_ , at least.

What he felt couldn't possibly be love.

Great. Now he'd thought the word and his migraine returned. He rubbed at his temple for a bit before entering the building, pulling himself together.

His eyes caught on Shalnark, who ran up to him and initiated a chat about what prices they might get for the auction items: "I think that old vase from what used to be the Gredor empire might sell for the highest price because it's the only vase from that period confirmed to never have been changed from its original state, and culturally, it was considered a symbol of power and authority, so there might be a fight between houses just to hold it, but it is just symbolism more or less. What do you think, Feitan?"

"I don't care."

And Feitan didn't. Not about whatever nonsense Shalnark was blabbing about, and certainly not Rein's words. He didn't have the need nor the time for this.

* * *

Chrollo was by no means an optimist, or a pessimist for that matter. He was a realist, which meant he was honest to himself and others concerning their circumstances. But believing in the ghosts of the dead... he almost felt like he was deceiving himself, because his heart didn't wish to believe the dead were truly gone. He supposed that was why many were taught of the soul living on, of reincarnation, and much more, and why those concepts had some to fruition in the first place. He wasn't sure if he actually believed it. But he wanted to, and that was enough for him.

Which meant that somewhere, he didn't want to accept that Uvogin was dead.

Upon reading his fortune that Miss Nostrade had written for him, he'd been moved to tears, quickly batting dark lashes and giving the quick excuse that the poem she had written was beautiful. It was, so he hadn't been untruthful, but there was more.

When Uvogin failed to come back after his fight with the Chain User, Chrollo had prepared himself to discover of his death, as it was the most likely possibility. Uvogin covered up for his weaknesses with brute strength, strength that typically ended up killing any opponents he went against. But this time was different. From what he had heard, the Chain User was strong. Strong enough that Uvo had felt the need to hold a proper one-on-one fight with him to finish him off.

Up until he read the poem, he'd allowed for the likelihood that there was another explanation as to why Uvo had not returned yet. Perhaps the fight had dragged on through the night and into daybreak, or the fight was postponed, or Uvo never managed to find the Chain User in the first place. It was possible that he decided to hide the body or deliver the body to the Nostrades as a threat. Maybe he'd gotten stuck in the Yorknew morning rush on his way back. Chrollo had let himself speculate that maybe Uvo wasn't dead. He had let himself hope that Uvogin wasn't dead.

He knew it wasn't likely, but still, Chrollo had hoped.

_The calendar loses a precious component. The months left behind will gather to mourn. The mourners play a melody, while the eleventh moon peacefully rises._

While Miss Nostrade looked on, his eyes had pricked, and a tear rolled down his cheek before he could catch it.

Chrollo had hoped wrong.

Their requiem was a success as most of their missions were, and the auction continued with the mafia heads none the wiser about what had truly occurred. The auction came and went, raking in enormous sums of money for the Nen copies for each of the treasures Kortopi had made. As the last item was sold and the crowds were filing out, Chrollo let out a sigh he didn't realize he'd been holding in.

Conjuring his book, he flipped to one of the more recent pages and pulled out a mantle from the Shadow Beast, Owl. His skill had appeared just in the nick of time for this auction, timing so perfect it must have been fate.

The red cloth was thick and extraordinarily soft, but hovered light as a feather and billowed with life even without a strong wind. It rippled in his fingertips for a brief moment before floating down, dropping but not going completely limp. It hummed with its past holder's nen as it waited to be used.

Upon seeing the other Spiders had cleared out from the packing area, Chrollo quietly sucked in a long breath, and threw the shrinking cloth over the boxes.

* * *

Two drunk men in a room, laughing their heads off. Of everything Rein had mentally prepared herself to see, from an empty apartment to a torture chamber to a concerned couple rushing toward them with blankets, hot chocolate, and the police? This was ranked low on her list. Not last, but pretty close.

Gon stood awkwardly, scratching at his temple and trying to keep a smile on his face. It was getting strained.

"These guys." Killua hands shoved deep in his pockets, he stared at the two with a pout. He slouched. "We got kidnapped, and they were _drinking?"_

What did you say in this type of situation? "It's okay." Rein patted his shoulder. "I'm sure someone out there loves you. Maybe. You will be loved eventually."

The man with short black hair and small glasses looked up at their voices, face flushed red from the alcohol. He smiled, almost tipping over despite the fact that he was sitting. "Oh, you're back! Come on, drink, drink!" he drawled, shaking a bottle at them.

Killua shut him down quickly. "You an idiot? We're underage! Speaking of which, you're underage too, Leorio."

The man—Leorio, Rein supposed—blinked slowly. "What's your point? In my country, when you're sixteen alcohol is a-okay!" he said, words coming a bit slurred. His eyes latched onto Rein, and sent a bleary smile. "Nice to meet you girl, I'm his dad. Is this your girlfriend?"

"What? No, that's so- you're not even my dad- she's just some stranger who couldn't find the incentive to save herself- Ugh, just shut u-"

"He's underage for that too," she sighed, saving Killua from his taken-aback state. Rein stepped up and pursed her lips. She would never get any useful information at this rate. Any conversation would be more useful if everyone was sober and acted like a human being with a brain. Moving the drunk pair to the side, she kicked the cans and bottles into a makeshift pile. Sweeping the cans and bottles into her arms, she set off for the bathroom, dumping the contents into the sink before the men could protest.

Killua and Gon came soon after with glasses full of beer they had wrestled from Leorio and the other man with strange eyebrows. Rein shoved everything in the nearby trash bin while Gon poured the remaining alcohol into the sink and rinsed it with water.

Killua went to the other room to make sure the two men weren't hiding any more bottles before coming back. "How long do you think until they can talk and walk normally again?"

"No stride, no pride!" Leorio called from the other room before breaking into laughter again, hiccuping in the worst places imaginable. He sounded like a dying whale with the flu and on drugs.

Gon attempted to smile, but it came out more a grimace. He sucked in a breath. "A while."

* * *

Phinks was not a smart man, if only one word could be used to describe him. He was more a man of action, jumping into fights, starting them, saying and doing daring things, killing people, the like. So it wasn't unusual when he burst into the Spider's temporary base, kicking the one decent door they had down with ease. He tried not to show it, but he was nearly dizzy with the euphoria that came from murder and destruction, which he had committed so much of in just an hour. He'd winded down a bit during the auctions because they had to keep quiet, but back at base where he was free to move and shout, the wave of excitement had kicked up again.

Taking long breaths, he tried to turn down the enormous amounts of adrenaline running through his nerves. The natural rush you got from a fight truly was amazing. His fingers almost twitched with the energy, and every step he took was powerful. Every breath was deep and held meaning, every limb near buzzing with aura. Call him childish, but he felt powerful. He felt alive.

But when the thrill died down, he noticed something. He looked at Feitan and Shalnark, who had just entered the building. Shalnark nodded while Feitan held eye contact for a split second before looking away. They noticed it too.

"Yo, everyone. Danchou." Nobunaga came in from the opposite side of the room, rubbing the back of his head with his sheathed katana. "Sorry I couldn't help in the auction. I had a couple of kids here who would've been a perfect replacement for Uvo, both really stubborn. They got away though, but I think they just need to be convin-"

"Nobunaga." Surprisingly, it was Machi who spoke first. Her voice shook for a moment, and she stepped closer. Her usual strong tone returned. "Nobunaga, where's Rein?"


	13. Just A Theory

Shocked didn't even begin to cover how Leorio felt.

"Really? That happened." Leorio hung his head, but looked up at the two boys. To think they'd undergone so much while he and Zepile had been happily drinking their common sense away. He had been doing stupid things while his friends were captured by the Phantom Troupe. The _Phantom Troupe_ , the A-class bounty Spiders, who had killed all of Kurapika's tribe and had gotten away with much more horrifying things. Gon and Killua, as strong as they were, were only twelve. They must have been scared for their lives, yet here they were, unscathed and looking perfectly fine. Gon was smiling, even. "It's amazing you two escaped alive."

Zepile furrowed his neatly groomed eyebrows and frowned, concerned. "The Phantom Troupe is that dangerous?"

"You have no idea," Rein laughed. She cleared her throat awkwardly when the others stared at her at the lightness of a tone she was taking. She tried to darken it.

"They are ruthless criminals with almost a one hundred percent success rate in everything they do. They're crazy powerful, and won't hesitate for anything. So many people have died, so many valuable things have been stolen by them. All their Hatsu abilities are amazing, and their physical ability just in itself is incredible. Only very few can beat one of them in combat, and even if an entire army goes up against just one, they will all be dead in a matter of minutes, seconds, even. Just taking a single individual's count of how many they've killed must be in the thousands or so. They can kill without even having to take a step and-" Rein's words died in her throat as she looked around her.

Zepile's mouth was hanging open, shocked at the sheer amount of very dark information coming from a little girl who was still just a young child. Gon was nodding, but his lips were pulled taut, the concern that had been etched in Zepile's face now moving onto his. Killua sucked in a breath and nodded along with his friend. Leorio's hand froze in the middle of pushing his glasses further up his nose.

Rein had said a bit too much.

"At- at least that's what I've heard." A lame attempt to smooth out her words, and the faces of everyone around her showed it. She definitely had said too much. Had she just wanted to brag?

Zepile's voice shook. "You two were captured by people... monsters like that?"

"Yeah."

Rein almost snorted at how monotonous Killua's answer was.

Gon continued off of Killua's single word. "Nobunaga—the guy who wanted us to join the Troupe—" he clarified, "Kept us in a room and blocked the exit, but we got an idea from the technique you showed us. I smashed through one wall and Killua smashed through the other, then we met back at the bottom of the building. Rein just kind of," Gon waved an arm. "Appeared at some point."

"Say." Leorio tilted his head toward Rein. "Not to call you out, but why are you here?"

Rein felt her stomach do a somersault. "What? Me? Well yes, of course."

"Come to think of it, you never said why you were with Killua," Gon said thoughtfully. "Why were you even at the Spider's base?"

"You were at the Spider's..." Leorio trailed off, and his eyes widened, alarmed. "You're not one of them, right? Are you a Spider?"

Rein blew a raspberry and immediately winced at how she'd reacted. She made a mental note to blow raspberries more often so they wouldn't think her reaction just now was out of the ordinary.

"Idiot, I wouldn't bring one of them along," huffed Killua before Rein could blubber her way into a deeper hole. "There are thirteen members in total. One was killed, and the leader wasn't there. Me and Gon saw the other eleven in one room at the same time, so she's not one of the Troupe. She was holed up in some sort of other room, with basic necessities." He was about to say something more when his expression froze. He pondered over the words he'd just said.

 _Basic necessities_. A bed with multiple blankets and sheets that had been repeatedly patched over the years, a door that offered the little privacy it could in its rickety state. The still steaming food that was left outside the door, a window right outside in the hallway, letting in light and warmth. A clock to help her keep track of time, which also helped in keeping sane. Looking back, she'd been provided with comfort, even. Very low quality, but still, some.

"Why were you there?" Killua asked, narrowing his eyes.

"Well, it's a..." She cleared her throat and brought her gaze to the ground. How stupid could she get? Her thoughts had been so swept up in revenge, what the others were doing, and the whole alcohol incident she hadn't thought up of a lie. The most crucial part in getting to the Chain User and she forgot it. By the look on Killua's face, she was sure his thoughts were creeping closer and closer to the truth. "It's a long, kind of sensitive story," she said quietly, in hopes that they would understand what she was implying and back off. Maybe they would write her silence off as trauma.

"Go ahead, this is a safe space," prodded Gon. He crossed his legs and leaned forward encouragingly.

Okay, so Gon definitely wasn't getting the point, and from the patient looks coming from the other three, they weren't either. Well then, it was time to lie! Or maybe time to die. Probably both.

"It all started a month ago. Or maybe two months ago." Rein blushed, and hurriedly thought up of an excuse. "This is a really sensitive topic. Could I go get some water?"

Then she blew a raspberry.

* * *

"She's not here."

"Machi, breathe." Pakunoda rubbed her back, trying to get some air into her lungs. 

"She's not here." She pressed a hand to her temple.

"Machi," Shalnark eyed her worriedly. Her hands were covering her face, and her figure was stiff, exhaling hurried words. Her voice wasn't shaking, but it was teetering on the thin line that bordered on panic and denial. "Everything is fine. Calm down."

"Rein is..." She'd been afraid of this happening ever since Danchou had made the decision to take her in. So much could have backfired in the worst of ways, and it certainly seemed as if it was happening now. It had been a concern when she'd come unconscious into their base, and even more so when the others decided to trust a shifty man to remove... Machi froze, eyes slightly wider than normal. "What if she found out."

Nobunaga's eyelid twitched. "Found out what? Stop being cryptic and just say-" He cut himself off mid-sentence. The secret that Rein was not to find out about, under any circumstances. The one which might ruin the entire experiment Chrollo had gone through great lengths to do: Raising a child. The secret which had the potential to skew her morals and her personality from the line the Spiders had worked so hard to build. "Her memories."

"We talked about this." Pakunoda set her hand on Machi's shoulder, steering her away from the room so Danchou could release the stolen auction items. She took her into the hallway, and was surprised to see Shalnark follow. The blond shot Paku a smile, and she nodded. Pressing down on Machi's shoulder to have her sit, she sat also. "Remember? The memory remover made it so that Rein would forget. As in the memories will not be there in Rein's mind anymore. Machi, her memories are gone."

"No." It was all coming back. 

_"I can take specific memories, or I can take entire amounts of time from her mind; anything you write down on this piece of paper. Say you want her to forget everything that happened from the 6th of March of last year to this day. Write those dates on the paper, and I can take it. Anything you don't want her to forget in that time frame, like how to read or how to use a toothbrush, write down specifically. After I take the memories, I put them in my own memory bank. It's easy. I've done it so many times, I can hardly tell apart my memories from the others. To be honest, I cry and laugh at things I've never even been through. But they're still screaming in my head, and begging to be let out."_

The mournful smile on the man's face had left its impression on Machi. 

_"I do believe I've started to crack."_

"That's not what the memory remover said. He didn't erase the memories, he locked them up somewhere in his own head. Her memories aren't gone, they're hidden." Machi looked Paku dead in the eye. "She can find them."

"Come to think of it," Shalnark offered, "he did state he was starting to go mad from the pressure emanating from the other memories."

Pakunoda fingered her gun and glared at him. "You're not helping. Besides, the man is long dead, what he's done can't change so easily now."

"Yes, he was going mad," Machi said, ignoring Pakunoda. She put a finger to her lips. "He was mentally unstable, and his Hatsu had to do with the mind. If he was unstable, there is no way to tell if affected how well he was able to perform on Rein's memories."

"But she showed no signs of regaining her memories, so why should that change?" Paku tried to argue.

They sat in silence before Shalnark snapped his fingers. "That's it!" He turned to the two women, a knowing glint shining in his eyes. "What happened the most recently that had the largest effect on Rein?"

After a pause, it came to her. "Uvo's death," Machi breathed.

Shalnark made a dinging noise while shooting finger guns. "Precisely. Uvo's death heavily impacted Rein's behavior, emotions, and most likely brain chemistry-"

Machi barreled on, swiping his flame and running with it. "This is the first time she's experienced the death of someone she knew well, and cared about. Not only could the sudden change in her mind have unhinged the memory remover's Nen a bit, but the entire reason why she's with us is because the Kurta clan is dead. She may not have seen their deaths, but she definitely heard them in her unconscious state. The only reason Rein knew about Uvo's death before we all did was because she most likely witnessed it. Perhaps it jogged her memory of the time the Kurta died, which in turn made her recall other memories that should have been locked up but weren't because the memory remover had _imperfect Nen."_

Shalnark whistled at the heavy information before smiling at Pakunoda's surprised expression. This theory actually made sense. "Have we made a breakthrough?"

Machi scowled. " _I_ have made a breakthrough, yes."

He'd just pursed his lips at the response when Phinks came running into the hallway. "Machi!" Phinks exclaimed before seeing the others. "Oh, and Paku and Shal." He jerked his head. "There's something upstairs that you should see."

They sped up to Rein's floor and came to a halt at her room, or what was left of it. The ceiling and part of the wall had caved in and rubble littered the ground, along with a fine layer of grey dust. Her bed hadn't been affected by the damage, and the faint footprints in the dust from her mattress leading to the door led them to one conclusion.

"Well!" Shalnark set his hands on his hips. "At least she's alive."

"Stop being optimistic and shut up," said Phinks, prodding an argument.

Machi bent down and picked up a shard of glass from the ground, cradling it in her gloved palm. Her gaze followed the trail of the littered glass, until her eyes came to rest upon the one clock in the building that had been crushed under the falling ceiling. It was only partially under the cement block. The glass had been shattered and the wood was splintered, but the internal clockwork seemed to be working fine. It was still ticking, but the hand was caught on the rubble, unable to move.

Hefting the block of concrete off of the clock, she dusted it off with the back of her hand and looked at the time. 7:32. The time the ceiling had crashed down and stopped the clock, and most likely the time Rein had run away.

"It's been about five and a half hours," Pakunoda observed from over Machi's shoulder. "Rein could be anywhere by now. She could be fine and just thinking over her new memories, or maybe she's fleeing and never planning to come back here again." She stopped talking when she realized the brashness of what she'd just said, suddenly quiet. What she'd said was realistic, but she still cared. She didn't want that. She sounded like a child saying what she did and didn't want, but it was true. Paku didn't want to never see the girl again.

"Why would Rein run away?" asked Phinks.

Shalnark took his sweet time explaining. "You see, we had this theory..." He droned on before he was cut off.

"Yeah, yeah, I got the point. No need to use more words than you have to." Phinks looked down at the tray he'd picked up from the door. The soup was cold now, and the vegetables floated unappetizingly on its surface. "She's not going to be away for long. She only took one roll of bread. At least the kid took some food with her."

Shalnark threw his arms up into the air. "Who's being optimistic now?" he shouted.

Phinks puffed out his chest slightly. "Yeah, that's a good thing because it give us clues as to when she'll be back, not because it gives 'hope'."

"Oh please, admit it. You just-" Shalnark's teasing smile froze on his face, stifling the playful air.

"Shal?" Pakunoda asked.

"We're missing the entire point!" He slapped his own forehead. "Man, I'm an idiot. Why didn't I see this sooner?" Shalnark held a hand out, gesturing toward the destruction. "This is a relatively stable building. There should be no reason it just collapses in on itself. This had to have been caused by someone. Guys," His voice almost shook at the word. "Rein can't have destroyed the ceiling from her bed and _then_ have walked out. The timelines don't make sense." Shal bit his lip before continuing, ignoring the looks dawning on the others' faces. "Nobunaga had those two boys with him, in the floor just above. But those kids escaped. Nobunaga was blocking the only exit, and there is no chance of two children winning against him if they fought, so instead of fighting, they escaped by creating their own exit. With nowhere else to go, they smashed through the walls. If they can do that, they can smash through the ceiling."

The footprints in the dust. That had to go in a specific order, even Phinks knew that. He wasn't the idiot everyone brushed him off as. The ceiling had to have caved first before Rein walked over it. And if the one who had destroyed the ceiling was one of those kids...

"She was taken. Kidnapped at most," said Phinks.

Shalnark took in a sharp breath. "Well, there's no sign of a struggle so we can't be sure of that, and there's also the possibility that she could have gone willingly with a complete stranger after finding out what we did to her real family, and even then the whole theory we came up with is just that; a theory, so we cannot say for sure whether she actually found out or not, maybe her emotions just got her confused and-"

"Shalnark," Phinks barked. His eyes softened just a bit before he caught himself and frowned. "You don't have to be the voice of reason all the time, you nerd. You can quit, dingbat."

Shalnark took those words to heart. He did the only thing he could.

He swore.

Then, the irrational taking over, he panicked.


	14. Tearful Lies

Killua knew what a liar looked like. For example, his parents were liars. Illumi was a liar. Hisoka was a liar. He himself lied for practical reasons. The opposite of a liar would probably be Gon, always speaking his mind and flashing the truth for everyone to see, not the best at covering up even if he earnestly tried. He was simple-minded and honest. On one side of the scale, there was Gon, on the other stood Hisoka.

If he could judge, Rein was somewhere in the middle, perhaps a bit closer to Gon in terms of quantity, but closer to Hisoka in terms of ability. Normally, she seemed like she would be the type who didn't lie if she could help it, but her behavior now had changed.

It was heartfelt acting, and really good. Killua didn't think anyone other than himself saw that she was preparing to trick them. She was really good at lying, but to him, who'd gotten through a grueling lie-detection training, it was apparent. Very subtle, the signs, but they could be seen. Too bad clues weren't the same as proof.

"It's a really sensitive topic," Rein said softly, blushing. She shook her head as if trying to clear her mind. "Could I go get some water?"

"It's okay,"Leorio said. Reaching for the table, he took a glass he and Zepile hadn't used and offered it to her. "Take as much time as you need. We want you mentally stable."

Rein seemed genuinely surprised at how the man was trying to care for her, almost like a therapist or a doctor. She took the cup. "Thank you," she said, squeezing it with both hands. She went to the hotel room kitchen to fill up her glass. She tried the tap water before dumping it out with an audibly nervous laugh. She then filled her cup with the water from the other tap, the one they were supposed to use for drinking.

_1\. When you are in the sudden need to come up with a convoluted lie, make an excuse to be alone to collect your thoughts and sort out a story. Buy time if possible, but not so much that it becomes suspicious._

Killua observed carefully as Rein returned from the hotel room kitchen with a glass of water. He was starting to recall the lying tips Illumi had given to him when he was still five or so. It was back when Illumi had tried to actually teach him through interaction, instead of his voice repeating over and over in Killua's head. Lying 101.

Her fingers ran up and down the glass as she approached, and she smiled weakly. Her steps seemed more tentative than before, and she was clearly more drawn into herself. Her head was tipped forward a bit, like she was trying to hide behind her muddy brown hair. "Hey," Rein said, quieter than Killua had heard her since they'd met. She lowered herself to the carpet and placed down her glass, water almost spilling over.

"Like I said, it's a long story that I'd rather not... um." She trailed off and brought her gaze to the ground for a sorrowful moment before glancing up at them all. Her lips were smiling but her eyes held a far-off loneliness to them. "It's okay," she chirped. "I know that you don't exactly trust me, and I get why, so I know I need to tell you my story, it can't be helped."

"Hurry up and just start."

Rein's sad eyes widened, taken aback. "O-Okay. I should, I've been rambling for so long now." She blew a raspberry.

_2\. Plan reasonable actions and reactions for whatever questions or circumstances might come beforehand. But always act as if you are on their side, and draw their sympathy._

"So why were you at the Spider's base?" Leorio asked.

"Well, I said so before, but I was with them for like a month." She paused. "Or two. I haven't exactly kept track of the days, I just looked at the clock and waited for the day to pass. So I can't help with how long I've been stuck there. I was never really good with time." She blew another raspberry and immediately winced. "That's a habit I picked up there, I'm sorry. Anyway," She fingered a strand of hair before shoving her hands into her pockets, grabbing at something Killua couldn't quite make out. Coins? Candy?

"Anyway, long story short, I was taken. Kidnapped, at most. I lived with my... mom before, and I was in my bed like a normal person would be in the middle of the night. Then when I woke up, I was in my blanket, but that was it. I was on concrete, in a room with people I didn't know."

Zepile shook his head slightly at the girl, concerned for all she had gone through. "Do you know why they took you?"

"Well, they never said for certain, but I think they wanted me to join. Or at the very least, train me to join." She rolled up her sleeve, showing off muscle. "I'm not the strongest, but I'm stronger than most. My physical ability may have been why they thought they could train me and eventually make me join them. They made a mistake telling me they were the Phantom Troupe first though. Since they told me, I knew who they were so I couldn't just join. I..." She paused, and furrowed her eyebrows. "I admit I have no idea why they want to train me so much. Of everyone, they chose me. I- I don't... why me? I've been with them for a month or two, but they still weren't giving up, and I don't understand why. They didn't mistreat me that much, but I don't understand why they don't leave me alone."

_3\. Talk a lot, and make sure to give enough details to make the story sound plausible, but are not important to the actual lie. Give a very fuzzy view of the time frame if you can, or don't mention it at all._

"I..." Rein hiccuped and clasped a trembling hand over her mouth. "I want to see my mom," she said shakily. "I.. I don't... I just want to see her again."

Zepile let out an involuntary whine of pity as he looked at the girl, whose tears were starting to leak. "Are you okay? Can you continue?"

Rein nodded, wiping at unending tears. "I- I can. I just... I didn't get to say goodbye. We were teasing one day then all of a sudden, I never saw her again."

Her face was blotchy now. Tears dripped off of her chin and into her lap, no matter how hurriedly she wiped at her eyes. Gon stood to get her tissues from the bathroom, and she was able to smile when he handed them to her. She offered a weak "thank you" before blowing her nose and continuing.

"At first, he, I mean, _she_ used to scare me a bit. But she's really sweet and he, I mean _she_..." Rein hiccuped again. "...helped me through a lot, and played with me, and teased me, and messed up my hair, and threw me in the air, and, and..." Rein wasn't looking at them anymore, hand covering her eyes as her teeth clenched tighter and tighter. "I didn't say thank you," she whimpered. "O-or goodbye."

_4\. Take your time, pretend to be traumatized. Have sudden bursts of emotion._

Gon held out his arms towards her. Unable to move, she held her own arms up towards him, lip quivering. Gon hugged her. "My Aunt Mito said hugs make people better," he stated. He pulled back. "Do you feel okay?"

Rein snickered and blew her nose again. "A little bit yes, thank you," she said, smile not forced anymore. She took the water Gon handed to her and took a long drink, refreshing her worn out throat.

"Kid," Zepile breathed. "Do you want to call your mom? What's the number? We can call her."

Rein froze. Slowly, she put down the cup with a wideness to her eyes that hadn't been there before.

Leorio inhaled sharply. Oh. "Zepile." He placed a hand on the other's arm, trying to get him to understand what he was thinking. "I don't think we can." Leorio turned to Rein. "I know I'm being straightforward, but is your mom... dead?"

Rein kept wiping at her eyes as she glanced up. There was pain evident in her gulp. "Yes, at least I think so. There was... all that blood, and..." Looking at her shaking hands, she brought them to her lap and went stock-still. "She probably is. She is."

"Oh."

After a drawn-out uncomfortable moment of stillness and silence, Rein spoke up. "You don't mind if I sleep here tonight? Is there an extra blanket or—"

"That's right!" Leorio got up and stretched, bones cracking loudly. "We can go ask room service for extra blankets. You can get the bed. I sleep better on the floor anyways." He went to one of the beds and swept the blanket and pillow off of the sheets, dumping them on the ground.

"Really? Are you sure?" she asked tentatively.

"Of course, kid." Leorio gave a small thumbs-up before confusion crept onto his face. "What's your name?"

She blew a raspberry. "Rein. Like the things you use on a horse?" She headed for the door. "I'm going to go get the blankets and stuff, so you guys can just stay in here and rest. Thank you for letting me stay." She closed the door before any of them could respond.

Behind the door, they heard the faint noise of a raspberry being blown.

_5\. Keep your whole body relaxed and unmoving unless the situation calls for otherwise, and pay special attention to what you do with your hands and eyes. If you can find an excuse to keep them occupied or en excuse to leave, do._

Killua clucked his tongue faintly. She'd hit five marks.

"Killua." Gon raised an eyebrow as their eyes met. "Why were you looking at Rein like she was lying?"

The question caught Killua by surprise. Had he been that obvious? Impossible, he'd been training to cover up his thoughts since birth. His mask of indifference was pretty darn flawless by now, not to mention his acting skills. Sometimes he could even fool his own siblings, which was a lot considering they had been put through the same lie-detection training. No, he couldn't have shown his suspicion. How did Gon catch on?

"Gon, what are you talking ab-"

"How did you know," Killua interrupted Leorio. He couldn't look Gon in the eye. "How could you tell? Was my acting off?"

He shrugged. "Well, I just kind of know," admitted Gon.

A silence. Killua burst into laughter. "You're so weird."

"Wait, hold on." Leorio took off his glasses and waved them in front of Killua's face to get him to notice and stop. "Wait," he repeated. "Why did you think Rein was lying?"

Illumi's rules of lying on the spot? How could he explain this? Besides, what Killua had observed only strengthened the argument that Rein lied, but it certainly didn't prove it. Her crying? Perhaps it had been a way to cover up the lie and draw sympathy, or it could have just been a genuine reaction because of trauma. Both were valid. Her acting was good, if she had acted at all. Still, Killua didn't want to think that she had told the truth. There was something off about her story, this situation, not to mention something seemed off with her. Something didn't quite click. Even if the others believed her, it was better safe than sorry. Her lying was good, he'd give her that. But living a life surrounded by liars, Killua knew his fair share of what one looked like. Rein hadn't told the truth. But he didn't have concrete evidence of that, just a gut feeling.

"Well, I just kind of know," Killua copied, and shrugged.

"Really." Zepile lit a cigarette and took a long drag. Puffing out smoke, he said, "Lying or not, the Phantom Troupe doesn't sound like something you'd want to be caught up with. I can't believe they're so powerful, plus it's kind of scary to think all that power is going to murder." He glanced up. "Do you think they'll hit the auction? They wouldn't dare, would they? They can't possibly do that. They can't."

"They can do a lot more." Gon set his hands on the ground. "We never told you about what happened to Kurapika, did we?"

* * *

Rein hit her forehead repeatedly as she walked aimlessly down the hallway.

Stars, her lying made her cringe. The over-acting, the whole crying incident she'd forced, not to mention all the raspberries blown... those had definitely been the worst. She'd blown them at the worst possible times, she knew it. She understood that this was all because of that one time she accidentally blew one when she panicked at a question, meaning now she had to do it constantly or else they would think the behavior out of the ordinary and suspicious.

The buzzing left on her lips, the awkward laughs that left had her stomach empty; it make her want to scream.

Still, it had gone relatively okay. The others had seemed to believe her story, though she wasn't sure whether Killua had taken her word as truth. He was certainly suspecting the most out of all of them. She would have to be careful around him. Aside from Killua, Rein believed that no matter how cringey her acting may have felt, it hadn't been all too bad and had actually fooled the other three. The crying had surely driven it home.

Before, it had taken effort to cry like that in front of people. But this time, she'd only thought of Uvo, said some honest things about him, and the tears had just... shown up. She had kept the crying to a minimum to avoid becoming a blubbering mess which might cause her to say something that went against her story, but the small amount she'd cried had certainly convinced them.

As she approached the room service closet at the end of the hall, her step slowed.

She _hadn't_ said thank you, or goodbye. She'd just made that up on the spot, but it was true.

Quickly bursting in and making an excuse about extra fluffiness and the wonders it did for one's posture, she left the room and the surprised cleaning ladies with an arm full of blankets. She fumbled at the door handle before being let in by Leorio. Gon was talking to Zepile, who nodded as he tried not to lose his cool in front of these calm children.

"Man, the Phantom Troupe..." Zepile clutched the sides of his head. "They just stole eyes from the Kurta? _Eyes?"_

Rein tensed for a quick moment before forcing herself to relax. That word again. 'Kurta.' Striding in, she dumped blankets on the clean bed. "Hey, I keep hearing that word." She casually cocked her head. "What is the Kurta?"

Gon started again. "They're a clan that was famous for their Scarlet Eyes, where their eyes run red if they get really emotional."

Rein's eyes were so wide that she wasn't even sure if she would be capable of blinking anymore. Scarlet Eyes? Like... hers? "What?"

Gon didn't seem to notice. "The Phantom Troupe attacked them years ago and stole all their eyes. Now all Scarlet eyes are sold at extremely high prices in the underground. Our friend Kurapika is the only survivor. Speaking of Kurapika," He turned to Killua. "I was going to say this earlier, but I think Kurapika is the chain user who killed one of the Spiders."

"What?" Rein voiced again.

"Yeah, Gon, what did you say?" Killua glared at his friend, who only smiled sheepishly back.He wasn't supposed to say that in front of Rein, how stupid was he? He had warned them she was lying. Did they still believe her, or was Gon really just that dumb?

But if he really was that dumb, how had he been able to figure it out?

"Um, well, I had a lot of time to think about it," Gon said, unsure of why his best friend was glaring at him so intensely. "The Phantom Troupe said something about the chain user working for the Nostrades, I think, and I'm pretty sure Kurapika said—"

A loud buzzing and ringing came from his pocket, and all watched as Gon pulled out his phone. He answered, then paused. "Kurapika?" He tried to make idle conversation for a bit before he became slack-jawed, eyes wide. "What does that mean?" he shouted. _"Kurapika!"_ he screamed, but to no avail. The line was dead. Gon slowly lowered his phone and gazed at the empty screen.

"What?" Rein asked again, still unable to process anything.

"The..." Gon shook his head in disbelief. "The Troupe is dead."

They all collectively took in deep breaths, but Rein once again beat them to their words.

_"What?"_

* * *

Elsewhere in the vast, glittering city of Yorknew, a young man was making his way through the streets that he knew like the back of his hand.


	15. No One Cares

Lucky Pinōson was anything but what his name implied.

Normally, this would cause one to think that he was clumsy, had gone through some hardcore trauma, something like that. Not quite. It was just that anything that could go wrong tended to around Lucky.

He was clumsy to a degree, sure. But that was normal for most people. What wasn't normal was what else happened when he was present. Around him, lampposts flickered (sometimes unhinged from the ground entirely), park benches broke (or were removed by force along with the nearby soccer goal to the dismay of the local middle school soccer team), seagulls stole chips from tourists (and one time an entire steak and the tablecloth from a forever traumatized waiter), and much, much more. But those incidents involved things. Items. Not people.

People were a different story. Several women had given birth around him, some people choked on their food, playground swings snapped off and left children crying, to name a few. He'd gotten used to these and was now an expert at first aid, and calming hysterical fathers. He'd been to the hospital so many times and had saved so many lives that they'd tried to offer him a medal or a plaque of sorts. He'd refused. He didn't need more publicity or attention, because here was the thing: he was able to help people if they were normal.

Criminals weren't exactly normal. Lucky didn't voluntarily hang around shady characters if he could help it. But he couldn't help it, which was why there were plenty of suspicious losers who hated his guts because he had the unfortunate knack for witnessing their crimes. More publicity meant more means for these people to find him again. Lucky needed every single advantage he could get because he miraculously somehow always managed to pass every single brooding criminal, and happened to walk past every single gang out for blood on the streets.

He'd seen his fair share of robberies, assaults and pickpocketing. Usually, if he could, he would try to help the victims. This has yet resulted in more saving people and even more becoming hated by the criminals of Yorknew. Seeing as he saw a lot of them everyday...

Lucky rubbed his temple with one hand, holding a coffee with six extra shots in the other hand as he dragged himself down a city street at 2:00 am. The lamp lights flickered as he passed by, and one died altogether.

He was too young for this.

Lucky, however unfortunate of a person he may have been, was not stupid. He hadn't been walking in the city in the middle of the night _just because._

A kid had broken his arm and knocked himself unconscious while Lucky was present. Lucky had driven both the kid and his dad to the hospital, until everything was fine at 1:00 am. Then the whole "please don't tell anyone about me" conversation had stretched into forty painful minutes before Lucky was finally able to get back to his parking spot... without a car in it.

He'd been unable to call any taxis, and everyone he knew might willingly help him was asleep. So Lucky did the only thing he could. Taking the long way around to make sure he passed through the nicer neighborhoods instead of the shadier ones, he started to trudge back to his apartment.

It was a rental anyway, he reasoned as he walked down the street. Insurance would cover for the theft of the car. The kid he'd driven to the hospital was safe, and he had yet another doting family he could ask favors from. And while he had to walk home, at least he wasn't passing through the more suspicious neighborhoods. At least he could walk relatively in peace. Maybe he'd witness only _one_ mugging today.

As he passed by an alleyway, he accidentally locked eyes with one who seemed to be doing exactly that. His gaze landed on her vibrant pink hair before seeing the person in the shadows she seemed to be tying up. Or strangling. Lucky wanted to care, but he honestly didn't at this point.

"Hey." He downed another gulp of what should have been painfully bitter coffee for his age, but was instead a blissful relief to his mind. He barely tasted anything. "Could you stop mugging that guy–"

She scowled. "Do you want to die too?"

"I'd rather not," he sighed. He looked to the terrified man, who was trying to keep from crying. The man on his knees and tied up in her—were they strings? He was mouthing for help. "But out of curiosity, why is that man at your mercy?"

Pinky looked at him like he was out of his mind, which he probably was. "I'm having a bad day, and he got on my nerves."

Lucky guessed. "Did he start to assault or harass you in a way that made you uncomfortable?"

Her eyes widened a bit before she turned away, which was answer enough.

"Good luck," he stated before continuing his walk home. Ironic wording, but no bother.

The captured man protested as Lucky tiredly slipped out of view. "Wait, no! Don't leave me wit-" his cry was suddenly cut off with a loud thonk.

Lucky almost thought she had killed the man before looking back and catching the sight of a flickering light. Lucky spared a little energy to chuckle at himself before taking another sip of his coffee. Only a few more neighborhoods until he reached his apartment. He could do this.

He thought he could, until he spotted a man with a topknot sliding his katana back into its sheath, the lamplight shining from the blade and reflecting directly into Lucky's eyes.

"Hey," he sighed heavily, stepping closer to the alleyway, but far enough so that the wannabe samurai's sword wouldn't reach him. Lucky glanced at what seemed to be a blood splatter on the otherwise clean wall, though it was hard to tell what it was when the lamps kept flitting between light and darkness. "Did you do anything illegal?"

The man clutched the handle of his katana, ready to draw it out. His sunken eyes pierced though him. "Move and I slice your head off."

"Fair enough. Next question." Lucky eyed the wall, relaxed but unmoving. "Is that blood?"

The light flickered on long enough for him to affirm that the splatter was indeed a dark red.

"What if it is?"

"If it is, I don't exactly see a victim so I can't do anything, can I." Lucky glanced longingly at the coffee cup hanging from his still hand. "Can I move now?" With a nod from the man, he took a long gulp before wiping his mouth with the back of his hand.

"What's up with your Nen?" The man squinted at him.

Lucky shrugged. "I don't know, nor do I want to know, what you're talking about." He turned slowly, making sure the man didn't move to kill him. "I'm going. If you want to discuss your life choices, you can see me the next time you do something illegal. Not that I want to see you, but with how my life has gone so far, I just kind of have a feeling I'm going to end up watching you commit a crime." He left the dark alleyway.

While he had been waiting for the kid to be assured safe, the boy's father had suggested Lucky go take a well-deserved walk, and he had. He'd walked for about twenty minutes before he was met with a building. The building looked like any other; tall, many wide floors, large glass panes. Perfectly normal, except this one was surrounded by fire. And a lot of screaming was coming from it, not to mention the sounds of gunshots and shattering glass. Lucky thought the name of the place was the Cemetery Building, or something like that, but he wasn't sure.

Frankly, upon seeing a giant of a Frankenstein man in the distance, he'd turned around and went straight back to the hospital, not bothering to check.

Then the whole car theft happened, then he met two suspicious people on his way home... he honestly hoped Wannabe Samurai wouldn't try to see him anytime soon. Lucky was too tired to be unknowingly dragged into the base of a crime syndicate or something. He just wanted to sleep, was that too much to ask?

As his eyes met another pair in yet _another_ alleyway, he knew. A normal life for him was way too much to ask. And what was it with dark alleyways? Why couldn't criminals change it up and do stuff on rooftops or in the sewers, or anywhere else Lucky wouldn't likely go?

He could hardly notice the man in the shadows because of his black clothing, but as soon as the lamp flicked on, he saw: long, baggy clothes, a skull marking on a scarf which covered most of his face, angry and sadistic eyes, and... a very short figure.

A cold glare met him. "What you want? Leave or I kill," he hissed.

 _Emo Loser_ , Lucky suddenly decided in his sleep-deprived state. Yes, that was a very accurate nickname, he thought amidst the extremely inappropriate circumstances of being threatened.

Apparently, the man was a foreigner, judging by his grammar. But it didn't look like he was lying. If anything, Lucky knew that out of the three he'd seen in this walk, this one was most likely to carry out his death threat, without warning or reason.

Lucky was very fortunate to be alive right now. It was only because of his non-caring manner, his terrible looking physique with his caffeine-run body, bags under his eyes darker than the night sky, and his done-with-life appearance and dress that the three Spiders hadn't killed him. No one was eager to kill anybody who appeared so beaten down without reason. He looked too pitiful and pathetic to be worthy of being murdered on a quick crime spree. Any more spiffy, any more alive and awake and he would have been dead. Of course, Lucky didn't know this. All he knew was that he wanted to go home, and this short man was holding him up.

He shook out his hand, his nails glinting. "I-"

"Let me guess." Lucky drank from his coffee, which was starting to come down to its last few sips. "You're having a bad day, just like that pink head. So you decided that some crime might lighten your mood. It's okay, I won't push if there's no evidence. But let me give you advice." Lucky hoped he wouldn't get killed for what he'd say next. "You have problems. I get it. Everyone does, and society as a whole has tried to fix that. But if you commit crime, society has a tendency to not care. Literally no one cares, because all people want in life is what is good to them, not bad. So why not do some good first, and see where that gets you? Please?" His voice cracked. "I need a break."

The short man blinked, but he still held his hand threateningly. "Your Nen... How old?"

"Eighteen." Lucky sighed. Why was this his life at a mere eighteen?

He quickly left before the man could react, scuffling his way across stone tile, almost tripping twice. Lucky just wanted to get home. He was too young for this.

A few incident-free alleyways later, out of the corner of his eye, Lucky spotted a man sporting a crop top on the roof, eyes glinting at something on the other side of the wall. This time, Lucky just turned away, desperate to go home. He rubbed at his temples again and wished that he'd gotten a large coffee instead of his normal medium-sized cup.

He was really too young for this.

* * *

That punk was lucky he was alive, but Feitan already regretted his lack of action. He should have killed the kid then and there, when he'd first seen him. It was just the bags under his eyes, the way he slumped over and dragged his feet, the way the lights flickered as he walked past, the coffee so strong Feitan could still smell it—needless to say, he had been caught off guard.

At least, caught off guard by some teenager probably crippled with debt who was trying to spout him life advice. If it had been any other person, Feitan would have committed his first murder of the early day.

The kid was trash in many ways. He looked like trash, his attempt at a meaningful conversation was trash, and his sleep routine was most likely trash as well.

But his Nen hadn't been. As soon as Feitan had held out his manipulated hand to attempt to kill him, Feitan's Nen had dissolved. He'd felt it fizzling around the edges for a split second before it faded to nothing in the snap of a finger, leaving him feeling strangely cold and unprotected.

Seemingly unaware of what he'd just done, the kid had started to talk, spouting coherent but meaningless words in his sleep-deprived state. When Feitan had inquired about his Nen for a brief moment, the kid seemed confused before answering with his age and leaving, streetlights flickering as he passed by. It appeared the kid's unique aura affected the other things around him too. It was stunning how the kid didn't know anything about Nen despite the fact that it had an effect on the things around him wherever he went. Feitan wouldn't be surprised if he'd written it off as just bad luck or something stupid like that.

He'd look into having Danchou steal his ability, if he even had an unintended Hatsu yet.

A few points on what the kid said during their brief encounter bothered him.

First, the whole 'if you do crime no one cares' thing was crap. The kid was wrong. Feitan was fine as he was; he had the Troupe to look out for him, to murder with and for him. Rein had even said aloud that she cared.

It was something the kid said before that was what had truly caught Feitan's attention. "You're having a bad day, just like that pink head." Pinkettes certainly existed, but Feitan had only ever known one. Had the kid seen Machi in the city?

After it had been revealed that Rein had run away or had been taken from the Spiders' base, a few of the Troupe members had been disturbed. Two disappearances in less than three days, the first of which had actually been a murder. It made sense they were slightly concerned.

However, Machi, Shalnark, Pakunoda, and even Phinks had been a little different. They explained a theory about how maybe Rein had regained some of her memories, which was indeed plausible. Danchou suggested they wait until the morning to see if Rein would come back on her own.

She'd run off, that idiot. With an irritated scowl he attributed to that annoying mafia man he'd killed, he'd set off into the city to find something to calm him down. He knew Nobunaga was here too for a drink, and Hisoka was always off somewhere in the red light district.

But Machi? He hadn't expected her to follow suit. The theory that Rein could get a grasp of her past memories; Even after years, the concept had always been somewhere in Machi's mind, and now that it had become a reality, Shalnark said she "might experience a change in normal behavior or line of thinking because" and then proceeded to blabber something about brain chemistry. Honestly, Feitan hadn't listened to much and he certainly didn't memorize it.

He just knew that Shalnark, however calm he was acting, was forcing his rational planning and thinking onto others. Shalnark only did that when he was trying to cover up how nervous he was.

Feitan, for one, wasn't all too worried about the possibility that Rein was kidnapped. He'd seen the two boys suspected of disappearing along with her, and their Nen was still new. They would be powerful one day, but for now, they were still saplings. Their Nen skills hadn't been vigorously trained as Rein's had been. So while two against one would be a bit of a struggle, Feitan knew Rein would come back safe eventually.

Everyone was slightly concerned for the missing girl after what had happened with Uvo. Even if Rein had found out about her past, her care for Uvo had been genuine. If they'd taught her right, she would try to avenge him. If the chain user found her and she tried to fight, there was no telling what might happen. Though Feitan didn't think she would die so easily. She was easier to kill than any official member of the Troupe, but she was strong enough. She would find her way back to them. Eventually.

It was just whether she was smart or not. If she found the chain user and tried to engage, she would be beaten. Feitan had touched on the topic before, but Rein couldn't evaluate her opponent's strength properly. She would underestimate him and prepare to fight as she rode on her emotions. Knowing her now, if she didn't hate the Troupe's guts, she would still be in grieving for Uvo. Having witnessed his death and most likely knowing what the chain user looked like, she would try to hunt him down. Then she would try to fight, against the one who was able to win against the physically strongest member of the Phantom Troupe. In short:

If she fought the chain user, she would lose.

...Not that he cared, of course.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ok so this seems like filler (I guess it is) and I kinda admit that this was not the best way to introduce Lucky into the story. But he's important later so... yeah. Sorry and thank you :)


	16. Sleepless

To be Shalnark, one simply had to shut down his or her emotional responses for about five minutes to take a step back and observe the situation from a neutral point of view. Doing this allowed for an individual to grasp the true picture and stay calm and rational in a stressful environment.

So that's exactly what Rein did.

When Gon said the Phantom Troupe was dead, she panicked for a split second before she took a deep breath and tried to enter into the mindset of Shalnark.

This was most likely a trick. The Phantom Troupe had gone up against groups far more skilled and great in number. There was no way they could lose to the mafia, of all people. But then why did Gon...? Though she was sure Shalnark could have come up with thousands of possibilities, Rein could only think they had left bodies of some sort. Kortopi could copy anything but he couldn't transfer life into something else. So he'd made a copy of some of the Spider's bodies as fakes. That had to be it.

The others were repeating things such as "I can't believe the Phantom Troupe is dead!" "Is it true?" "How did Kurapika know?" and so on, as if they were unable to process, unable to move forward in time.

Rein was planning on saying something to break the pattern, but Gon beat her to it. He turned to her. "This is great, isn't it? They can't bother you anymore!"

Rein raised an eyebrow. "What?" she echoed.

"Well, now that the Troupe is gone, they won't be able to keep bothering you anymore. You can live your life! Find a goal, you know, normal things." Gon smiled straight at her, and the image of Uvogin flashed in her thoughts. "Maybe you could become a Hunter, like us."

Rein allowed her eyes to prickle. "A Hunter," she repeated, a slight jump of laughter creeping into her tone. "That's not a bad idea."

Killua sighed. "Why are you crying again?"

She bought a few seconds by reaching for a tissue to quickly rehearse her answer in her head. Brushing away mere droplets, she met his eyes for a brief moment. An icy ocean. "I'm just... relieved, I guess. Really relieved. Like Gon said, they won't be able to bother me anymore."

Killua resisted the urge to roll his eyes at her response. How could she say that like it was the truth? She was good at lying, but he could still tell what she'd said wasn't the entire story. He also couldn't detect what was wrong with her lie. Was it the lie itself that had a hiccup in it that caught his attention? Or maybe her acting was off? But if he observed carefully, he was unable to find anything that supported his theory. How could he tell she was lying? He didn't know. He didn't know, and that realization sent a prickly shiver up his spine and to the tips of his hair. Why could he _not tell?_

This confused him, and Killua didn't like it one bit.

Zepile started to collect the cigarettes and remaining cups. A trickle of ash trailed through the air before drifting and fading into the hairs of the carpet. "We should all probably head to sleep. It's already 2:00 am. Me and Leorio are gonna hit the auctions in the morning, but what are you guys going to do? Do you want to come with?"

"Wish we could, but—"

Gon cut in with a resolve in his eyes, clearly unaware he'd just interrupted his friend. "I'm going to try to get in contact with Kurapika. If we can't, we can all meet up later after you're done and search fo-"

Killua's hand slapped over Gon's mouth, muffling his startled cries. "And I'm going to check what really happened to the Phantom Troupe, try to get as much of the real story as possible." As Gon continued to struggle, Killua snatched a pillow off the bed and proceeded to muffle him with that. He turned to Rein, amusement still dancing in his eyes. "What are you going to do?"

Rein blew a raspberry, not even having to think twice about the action. She'd barely registered the fact she had done it until she felt the buzzing of her lips. Perhaps it truly was becoming a habit. Leaning back of her hands, she pretended to ponder. "I don't know. Maybe I'll decide what to do in my future."

Gon succeeded in kicking Killua away. As he gasped for a single breath, he scrambled into a standing position so he would be less vulnerable to attacks. "Be a Hunter!"

She paused. Grin spreading wider across her face, Rein grabbed her own pillow and jumped toward Gon, trying to muffle him as Killua had. "Maybe! Don't force me down a path." Victorious, she pinned him down with her knee resting atop the crook of his elbow as he playfully pleaded for mercy. At least she hoped it was playful. If it was serious and he passed out from lack of oxygen...

Gon shoved her off, and she offered little resistance.

If she accidentally hurt one of them, they wouldn't trust her. Playing with them like this was fine. She could have fun. Being friendly and acting like one of them built a sense of trust even if they hadn't known her all that long, which would come in handy should she trick or betray them, which she was sure she would, eventually.

Leorio was already wrapped up in his blankets, groaning after one of them had kicked him in his gut. He mumbled something about his poor kidney before pulling his sheets over his head. "I get that it's fun, but we all need to sleep. Please?"

The 'please' did it. All three kids jumped towards Leorio, pillows held high and at the ready.

* * *

Needless to say, Lucky was surprised to see Emo Loser jump in front of his path less than a block from his apartment. He was even more surprised when he found himself in a position that strongly suggested he was being kidnapped.

Lucky was kicked to his knees from the back, left arm twisted behind him threateningly and the other already dangling. Every pulse sent from his heart was thunder vibrating through his arm, and he bit his lip to keep from screaming. Every beat sent his skin shivering, and his twitching fingers shot sharp stabs of pain all the way up to his spine. He let out a small whine and tried to look at his injured arm.

Lucky had gone through many broken bones before. His arm wasn't broken, but it was already swelling a bit and hurt like crazy to move. Everything from his elbow down screamed with pain, slapping his tired self wide awake. It hurt. His heartbeat thundered through his body so viciously he was surprised it wasn't echoing down the street.

"Struggle and I do the same to your other arm."

Lucky was hauled up to his feet, and he let out a small cry when the sudden movement shot another jolt of pain rippling through his injury.

"Danchou will have questions."

The man locked his hands around Lucky's wrist like an iron, unyielding and cold. He was still behind him and had one uninjured arm twisted painfully behind his back as a constant warning to listen to all he said. Walking, Lucky's dangling, swollen right arm occasionally bumped painfully against his leg. His yelps were ignored. Gradually speeding up, the man led him through the backstreets of the city to wherever he was being taken.

"Tch. You so slow."

Lucky was trying. He was running as hard as he could, and every pounding leap he took sent a kick to his bruised arm, the swelling far worse than it had been before. It still wasn't enough? He felt his insides splitting as his chest heaved, lungs burning with panic and the yearning for Lucky to be a normal person. Why did this have to happen? He'd just wanted to sleep, and running was quite on the other side of the scale from resting in peace. He stumbled once, but from a threatening tug up his uninjured yet twisted arm, he pushed off and continued to move.

It would be so much easier to run if his other arm weren't twisted behind his back. How much longer did he have to run at his top speed which was deemed 'slow' from this person kidnapping him? Lucky just wanted to hit the hay after a long, long day of many incidents.

He wished a lamppost would just magically fall from the sky, but it didn't seem to be happening. Of all the times for his bad luck to not affect his surroundings, this had to be it. Normal people might consider being kidnapped bad luck, but not Lucky. Lucky's was more Murphy's Law type. Nothing affected him directly, but little unfortunate miracles would happen one after the other, causing chaos _around_ him. He did notice that it seemed to dial down whenever he was tired. Maybe he was so worn down from the running and his injured arm that his bad luck had fizzled out?

As they kept running, Lucky almost felt ready to collapse and stop, even if it meant his left arm would become swollen and aching like his right. Still, he knew he would be forced to run even then, and running with one injured arm was so much easier than running with two. But it hurt. All of him hurt. 

They were out of the city now, heading towards a building in the distance. Lucky prayed that was where they were stopping. It was already so far away. If he were forced to run even further beyond, he wondered whether he could make it without passing out. Taking a moment to lick his dry lips from the blowing dust, he surged on with a ragged tiredness.

As they approached the building, Lucky felt a sense of relief flow through him before realizing they weren't slowing. Even when inside the building, they didn't slow. Lucky fought the urge to scream in frustration when he saw the stairs. _Stairs._ Up they went, Lucky panting and Emo Loser trying to push him to go faster.

Some way or another, Lucky found it within himself to ascend those stairs. At the top floor, they finally came to a stop in the middle of a vast room. Lucky collapsed.

His legs were quaking, burning and limp. His chest heaved as he took in sweet, still air, not whipping against his face or whistling in between his pounding heartbeats. Once he'd stopped running, his entire being throbbed miserably and he wasn't sure whether he could start up again. Right now, dying didn't seem like that bad of an idea.

"Feitan." A calm voice floated though the air, melodious. Unhurried, yet urgent. Curious and uncaring, tone drizzled with sweet honey. Great, another person.

Lucky lifted his head in an attempt to get a glimpse of the man who had spoken, but his vision swam, black spots exploding and obscuring his view. He dropped his head, but his vision blurred, darker and darker.

* * *

"Who have you brought this time, Feitan?"

The person who had just collapsed onto his hands and knees wobbled for a moment before slumping onto the ground with a thud, unconscious.

"Weakling, apparently," Feitan bit before shaking his head.

"He's passed out from exhaustion," Chrollo stated, getting up from his comfortable spot on his cement block. Shrouded by candlelight, he took a step forward before issuing his order to Pakunoda and Kortopi, who were guarding him. "Kortopi, wait at the entrance of the building and send Machi up here when she gets back. Paku, stay here until this young man wakes up."

They both nodded. Kortopi left, small feet padding down the hall.

"Feitan, why did you bring him here?" Chrollo questioned.

He grumbled in response. "His Nen is powerful, but he don't know about it. If it's Hatsu, maybe you can steal ability."

"He is a Nen user?" Chrollo leaned forward. The unconscious person on the ground seemed like most others in the world, one who hadn't had his nodes properly opened yet.

Feitan abruptly kicked the person's shoulder. No response. "Tch. He was leaking it before."

"Leaking?" Chrollo repeated. "So his nodes have been opened already, but he hasn't learned to control it. Yet when he is unconscious, he seems to be entering a state of imperfect Zetsu. In fact, all his basics seem far from polished. You claim he already has a Hatsu?"

"Maybe Hatsu." Feitan sighed while looking at the body who was still not waking. "He doesn't know own aura and can't control it, everything his aura touched... His aura's not round, leaking, or quiet. His aura alive, and lashes out constantly. Almost everything his aura attacked was affected."

Chrollo gave a slow nod. "What do you mean, 'affected'?"

How to explain this. "Bad things happen around him," he tentatively said, knowing that it didn't explain the entire situation in the slightest. It only prompted confusion and questions. Feitan tried a different approach. "When I was going to kill him, his aura lashed out. All my Nen disappeared. But he didn't know what he done, still scared a bit but tried not to show."

"So this young man has an aura that seems to move on its own, or subconsciously. When he feels threatened, that aura focuses its attack on a specific point instead of lashing out at random objects like it normally would function," Chrollo summarized neatly. "And this focused attack forced you into a state of Zetsu?"

"No." A pause, and with no more questions but instead a gentle prodding look coming from Danchou, Feitan continued. "I said before. Felt like my aura disappeared."

There was yet another silence before the person stirred awake, groaning. Seeing his injured arm pinned under his body, he struggled to right himself with his other arm, shaky but intact. His breathing was irregular, sucking in breaths and quietly whimpering in the most awkward of places, but it was evident that it was due to the pain rather from exhaustion. Checking to see the damage done to his arm, he gave a small "ugh" before raising his gaze to them.

"Should I check him now, Danchou?" Pakunoda asked from her corner. She'd been so quiet Feitan had almost forgotten her presence. Almost.

The captive jolted back just a bit, trying to cover up his confused alarm. His Nen, however, gave him away. Cloudy and black, it struck out randomly and rapidly, taking on a shape that was anything but calm. The candlelights flickered and were all extinguished with one breeze, and a cement block tumbled from near the window and crashed to the floor, shooting debris across the ground. A second-long pause later, the colored glass dome crumbled further, shards of rainbow raining down on top of the new ruin.

As Pakunoda approached the captive, Feitan gripped his head and held a sharp nail to his throat, ignoring the fact that his aura once again left him. It didn't matter. Feitan was still more powerful than him in all aspects. He had the upper hand. "Cooperate," he hissed before pushing him Pakunoda's way.

"Don't worry," Pakunoda drew out, trying to make her voice soothing as possible without losing the air of superiority. She respected the way he looked her straight in the eye, instead of staring at her chest. No, this young one was nice. Even when they had captured him, he was still dignified, though he did look like a tired raccoon digging around in the trash. She sat down next to the captive and slung an arm over his shoulder, careful not to crush his bruised hand which lay limp on the ground. As soon as their shoulders touched, she knotted her brow, puzzled. Her aura had all but fizzled out, leaving her with a strange sense of vulnerability.

"I said cooperate," Feitan growled.

"But I didn't _do_ anything!" the captive argued, but Pakunoda could feel his hollow, thundering pulse.

She stood up and turned to face Chrollo. "Danchou, his Nen is acting by itself. I think he needs to be calm for my ability to work, otherwise his aura lashes out at me because it feels threatened. Feitan." Paku glanced at him, who looked mere inches away from breaking bones. "Stop scaring him. It's having a negative effect."

Suddenly, Feitan slipped and fell. _He, Feitan Portor._ He glared at his feet and the rock which had betrayed him before realizing whose fault it really was. Shooting daggers at the captive who looked more intimidated by the second while his murky aura grew to the size of a small house, Feitan snarled from behind his collar. He could overpower him. It was so easy. Or he could torture the kid. It didn't matter if he had a mysterious, large and looming aura if the kid didn't know what to do with it. Heck, the captive didn't even know what Nen was. It would have been so easy for Feitan to kill him right then and there, but he refrained. Aura could exist after death. He could dispose of him, but there was the possibility it would cause his Nen to cling to Feitan forever.

And he wanted anything but that.

Sighing, Feitan stood, brushing dust off his clothes from where he had fallen. "Do what you want," he grumbled as he left the room.

Chrollo clasped his hands together and plastered a welcoming smile on his face. "Hello. I'm afraid you won't be able to leave until we permit you to, but I do have questions for you that I would like answers for as soon as possible. Would you prefer right now, or tomorrow morning?"

In the hall, a loud crash was heard, followed by a long string of foreign swearing coming from a short, dark man.

Lucky ignored it. All he could feel was the strange combination of pain and numbness from his right arm, and the heavy bags under his eyes. It hurt to blink his eyes, and hurt even more to peel them open again.

"Tomorrow _afternoon_ ," he answered, and fell onto his uninjured side, already asleep.


	17. Memorable Experiment

"Is she coming to? I think she's finally waking up!"

She would never forget Shalnark's eager voice as she lay on the ground, feeling bleary and exhausted.

Her head throbbed with every single pulse, and his high-pitched, energetic shouting wasn't helping. Groaning, she'd opened her eyes, only to close them immediately. She didn't want to move, or turn to the light. She felt like doing nothing but curling up, maybe kicking the shouting person before drifting off to sleep again. Only six, she did not feel like waking up at all.

Unfortunately, he grabbed her wrists and forcefully pulled her up into a sitting position.

She'd glared as hard as she could in his direction with a squint. She ran a hand down her face and rubbed at her eyes.

"You're finally awake!" the blond exclaimed, earning himself another sleepy glare. "You've been out cold for a while."

She blinked. "Who are you?"

His eyebrows shot up, and his hand brushed his own cheek briefly before reaching out toward hers. "You don't remember who I am?"

She ducked and scurried back. "No." Freezing, she finally peered at her surroundings. A hard, wooden floor, with hard, wooden walls to match. Something on the ceiling spun, but she didn't know what that was. Some reed-like things decorated the opposite wall, but she didn't know what they were either. And the people, the person in front of her... she didn't know him. She tried to think back, but hit a blank wall. A single instruction of how to brush her teeth came to mind, but she brushed that aside. She may have been clueless, but she doubted cleaning her teeth would be of help in any way at the moment.

"Oh," he breathed, suddenly quiet.

"So she's lost her memory." Another man entered the room, raven black hair swishing to the side as he took a step forward. His bangs had a small bounce near the front, giving off a warm feeling. Wearing a simple yet dignified shirt and slacks, he came to a hesitant stop in front of her. He smiled, but his eyes seemed to droop. "I suppose you don't know who I am either?" His earrings glinted from late sunlight streaming through the window as he dipped down, questioning.

"No," she said, and jolted at a man staring spitefully at her behind a winged skull marking, who had suddenly appeared next to him.

"Feitan, I believe your presence is scaring her," the man with earrings said, gently pushing him away. "Go wait with the others, and let them know she's awake. Training should come after the girl is comfortable with her surroundings."

"Tch." He left as soon as he had come, which meant she saw nothing. One moment he was there, and in the blink of an eye, he'd vanished.

She must have gaped, because the next thing he said was: "She seems to have forgotten everything, even our abilities."

"Who are you?" she repeated, rubbing again at her bleary, itching eyes.

He smiled. Brushing his dark bangs out of his eyes first, he then took her small hands in his own, giving them a firm squeeze. It would have been a comforting move if he hadn't been a stranger in her mind. Realizing it was making her uncomfortable, he let go and took a step back. "I am Chrollo."

The blond who had been shouting before sat down carefully next to her, but at a distance so the girl wouldn't be alarmed. "I'm Shalnark," he said, extending his hand. This just earned him a puzzled look. "Oh, she forgot that too. Heh. I guess we missed that point." Not giving her much time to ask about what he'd just said, Shalnark gingerly took her hand and placed in in his own. He gently pumped his arm up and down. "You're supposed to shake it. It's a way of saying hi, or hello, or greetings."

"O-okay." She kept pumping her arm up and down. "When do I stop?"

Shalnark laughed, letting go to clutch his stomach while he succumbed to giggling. "Whenever you want."

She nodded. "Chrollo and..." She paused. "Shawl-nork."

"Shalnark," he corrected, running the syllables together.

"Shalnark."

"There you go!" he exclaimed, clapping his hands together. "So, do you remember anything else? I know you're probably confused, but think really hard, 'kay? What do you remember?"

She tried to remember, she tried to. But anything more than the mere minutes that had passed here, nothing came. Her memories weren't blurry, they were straight-up gone. Even if she didn't have any memories, she could tell this condition wasn't normal for a person her—she looked down—size. Age? Whatever, either way, she knew this was off. People were born, started out as infants, and gradually grew into children, then adults. Suddenly being at this stage in life without memories was odd, but she did seem to know basic words, and how to do certain things.

"People are born as babies and I can brush my teeth," she blurted.

Shalnark laughed again, the bubbly sound ringing in the stark air. "We got a good one, Danchou!"

Chrollo nodded.

"Aren't you Chrollo?" she asked, pointing a finger. "Who is Danchou? Or is it a thing?"

Chrollo sat down on the other side of her, close enough that she could feel his warmth. "It is a title. Danchou means boss, or leader. We're part of a group, and we were training you to be a part of it, but you slipped and hit your head." He bit the inside of his cheek, pondering. "I believe you have a case of selective amnesia."

She blinked. Thankfully, Shalnark leaned toward her ear and whispered a simpler translation: "You forgot some things, but not all things."

"Ah. Okay." She cocked her head. "Will I remember again?"

Chrollo sucked in a breath, and she could see Shalnark wince. Chrollo put a hand around her shoulder, unable to look her in the eye. "It's impossible to say. You were unconscious for so long, and the effects from the head injury cannot be calculated. You could start recalling memories in a few weeks, or the effects could linger for decades. The brain is a wonderful yet tricky organ."

"Oh." She too, brought her gaze to the ground. They sat in a stiff silence for a while before she started back up. "So you're the Danchou. Which means you're the boss, who's in charge."

"Yes, and you're part of our group as well. Well, we are training you to be, anyway," Chrollo stayed, finally meeting her brown eyes with his impossibly black ones.

"So..." She crossed her legs and held her ankles, looking rather like a sitting cat. "Do I have a family?"

Chrollo shook his head.

"Not even a brother?" She wasn't too sure why she'd said that.

He smiled, and leaned back, spinning words that seemed to be rehearsed. "You don't have a family, you have us. The Phantom Troupe. The Spiders. Family may betray you, or die, but we will be ever present, and we will last forever, to protect you and help you if need be. Our bonds are thicker than blood."

She blanked for another moment before Shalnark once again whispered in her ear to explain. "We are better than family."

"Ah," she said again, unsure of how to respond. It wasn't just that she couldn't follow Chrollo's words. His words sounded foreign to her. She didn't feel them. Perhaps it was another effect of the selection a-knee-sma or something. Would she be like this for the rest of her life?

"Do you have any other questions?" Shalnark sat with his hands tucked under his thighs, and scrunched up his shoulders in a soft manner. "If you have any questions at all, don't be afraid to ask. We know it's a difficult time for you."

You. Her. Me.

Me?

"Who am I?"

Chrollo gave a small, controlled chuckle. "You are a girl who will become one of us, the Phantom Troupe. Until then, you are our trainee, and we will attempt to raise you. You will—"

"No, not that. I mean, yes, that too, but that's not what I meant..." She bit her lip and looked away, a bit embarrassed that she had to interrupt him. "What's my name?"

Chrollo's mouth formed a small 'o' shape as he brought his head to rest in his hand. He hesitated longer than he should have. "Your name is Rein."

"Oh." She thought of midnight thunderstorms, the crisp smell of the world in the calm morning, a pattering sound hitting the rooftops. How she knew what those was without any memory, she didn't quite know. "Like raindrops."

"No, not that rain."

She furrowed her brows, perplexed. "Like... the... kingdom type of reign?"

"No, your name is Rein, spelled R-E-I-N," Chrollo affirmed.

This time, she took the initiative and leaned toward Shalnark herself, who smiled before explaining, "Like the things you use on a horse."

"Oh," she said, trying not to sound too disappointed. "Why do I have such a difficult name to figure out?"

"True, the word 'rein' does have many homonyms," Chrollo began. "But your version of the word means the ability to control or restrain, a key feature in becoming a refined adult one day. It will be crucial for your future."

Tired of having to rely on Shalnark to understand anything this man said, Rein nodded in mock comprehension.

Sure the girl was satisfied at least for a bit, Chrollo stood up, gesturing the two to do the same. "The rest of the Troupe will want to see you, Rein."

Shaking to stand, Rein had to grasp Shalnark's arm a bit to haul herself to her feet, and even then, her legs quivered. Taking a deep breath, she forced them to still. Slowly letting go of his arm, she straightened, starting to take short, careful steps to Chrollo, who silently watched her movements with an amusement sparkling in his dull eyes.

"Are you okay?" Shalnark asked. "You shouldn't push it too much. It might cause you to black out again..." He shot Chrollo an urgent look, who returned it with a knowing, curt nod. She couldn't become unconscious again. She just couldn't, or else all their hard work would go to waste.

"It's okay," she breathed, almost stumbling. "I got this."

Finally, she made it to Chrollo, who offered his elbow to her. Shalnark did the same on her other side, and she took them both, tired after her short walk. Drooping in their arms, she was half-carried down the hallway to another door. Shalnark let go of her to open it, revealing other people.

"Hey, guys," Shalnark spoke up. "Take care. She's finally awake, but she doesn't remember anything. Not who we are, or who she is."

"Yeah, we know, we heard the entire thing," a man from the corner moaned, irritated. He tucked his hands into his large sleeves. "Man, guess we have to start over from scratch now."

"Oh, Nobunaga," Shalnark laughed. Pulling Rein forward, he observed carefully as she took her next steps into the room without any support, shakily at first but gaining strength in her stance in mere seconds. Had the effects worn off already? To test, he placed her hands on her shoulders. She stayed steady. "Let me introduce you. Again, I mean." He pointed to each of them, giving a short description.

"That one with the sword who just talked, that's Nobunaga. Don't get on his bad side. The pretty blond lady over there is Pakunoda, and she's a really good shot. The giant guy with muscles is Uvogin, he's amazingly strong. The skinny gray dude with long hair is Omokage. Don't meet his eyes. The one with pink hair is Machi, she's easier to remember. The _other_ giant guy with the long earlobes which kind of look like scarves at first glance until you realize they're too skinny in both senses of the word to ever be a scarf but then makes you question why his ears are so stretched out but he'll never give you a satisfactory answer as to why no matter how many times you ask or how politely you do it or how much you try to bribe him and it's so annoying—" Shalnark took a long breath. "He's Franklin." He rubbed the back of his head and stuck his tongue out playfully before continuing. "The man with no eyebrows is Phinks, no other description necessary. And this guy right next to you—"

Rein jumped back. S... stars, had he been there the entire time? She didn't even notice until Shalnark had pointed him out. He blended in perfectly with the shadows as if he was one of them, but the way he was glaring at the world—or at her presence specifically—gave a fire to his character.

Shalnark chuckled at her startled face. "He's Feitan. Don't worry, he's like that to most everyone. You'll get used to it."

Used to this constant glaring? Somehow she thought getting her memories back would be a faster route than getting used to his small, angry eyes. Which were trained on her. And boring into her very soul.

"Well, I guess that's it for introductions." Shalnark placed his hands on his hips. "Danchou, should-"

"Wait," she said, tugging on the hem of his tunic. "You didn't do mine."

"Yours? Your what?"

Shaking her head, she took a step forward so she could see them all properly without Shalnark in her line of view to obscure them from sight. "I'm Rein." She looked back at Shalnark, who gave an encouraging thumbs-up. "Like the things you use on a horse," she remembered. She turned to Feitan, who was closest to her. Ignoring his gaze, she stuck out her hand with her elbow locked, and her fingers stiff. Her extended hand only earned her a face which she deemed as confused. "You're supposed to shake it," she informed him. "It's a way of saying hi, or hello, or greetings."

* * *

Chrollo watched from the doorway as the girl started to interact with the other Troupe members. Rocky, but it was a start. He knew none of them would slip up what they were supposed to say, and even if they did mess up, the girl most likely wouldn't catch it. She seemed smart, and she remembered a lot of what Shalnark had told her in the minutes they talked to her, but she didn't seem like one to brood in a topic for long. At least, not yet. If he trained her properly, then both her physical and mental ability would be stronger.

He was grateful she hadn't passed out again. The memory remover's ability came with a lot of conditions, one of which stating that once awake, she had to stay awake for the next 24 hours, or else she would regain her memories again. She would also be significantly weaker during that time, increasing the difficulty of keeping her awake. As she seemed to be walking nearly like a normal person now, Chrollo deemed this a good thing. She was recovering from the induced amnesia quickly.

The girl was now with Uvogin, awing at how her hand and wrist disappeared completely in his grip.

The girl, dubbed "Rein". Rein, which meant to keep under control, to restrain. He hoped his choice in her name would influence how child-rearing would go for the next years. It would surely help him. He could control her, and maybe she would even make her name her own one day. She would learn control and restraint for herself so Chrollo would not need to practice it on her. Control was a key part in fighting, manipulation, deceit, revenge, loyalty, and more skills needed to be successful as a Spider. Restraint was important as well, as she would need to dial back her childish tendencies and emotional outbursts during times when they were far from appropriate. Looking around, Chrollo knew many in the Troupe needed to work on these two aspects, both of others and themselves. In these points, they were nowhere near perfect.

But if Chrollo raised her correctly, Rein would master these two points, and become strong.

Chrollo had never raised a child before. But this experiment had the potential to keep him entertained for years. And the fact that she was Kurta made it all the more interesting. How would he deal with her Scarlet Eyes? Would she change into them at all? Was there an evolutionary reason behind it, and if so, how would he use it to make her more powerful? Would she even comply? Perhaps her stubbornness would be another possible roadblock to defeat.

His lips curled up calmly. This experiment had so many risky factors, factors of unknown things he could only tackle when the time came. Children were unpredictable; naive and wise, stupid and smart, caring and stoic. They cried over the silliest of things, and laughed at such. An idea that made absolute sense in their heads would be an incredibly dumb one to anyone else.

So many obstacles to raising a child, each more complicated than the next. He was looking forward to conquering them all. And the ideal product from his experiment?

A top-notch Spider he had raised from scratch.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> uh, backstory so technically a "special"-like chapter?   
> Also Rein having to rely on shalnark to understand anything Chrollo says is yes.


	18. The Morning Silence

Rein lay awake in bed at what the clock suggested was 7:02 am. She sighed. Finally, she could think in peace, her mind as clear as it could be with all the information swarming around in it.

She thought back to when she'd woken up with amnesia after falling unconscious. Her earlier memories tugged at her insides. All of them... they'd been nice. So nice.

Shalnark tried to explain as best he could when she was confused. Chrollo had bent down to look her in the eye when they talked. Phinks made her laugh for the first time. Pakunoda chided the others when they got too close to accidentally hitting her. Machi had sewn her new clothes, even giving her some old outfits she'd outgrown. Omokage complimented her eyes. Uvogin took the initiative to talk to her from his end. Nobunaga begrudgingly made a pun when Danchou told him to, and swore to never ever do it again under any circumstances, ever. Franklin told her why his earlobes were so long, which infuriated Shalnark and had Rein smiling with a smug, mischievous glee only a six-year-old could pull off. And Feitan had even gone so far as to tolerate her existence.

Thinking back, they'd also acted a bit suspiciously, but at the time, she didn't know that. She just thought they were nice people for taking care of her needs. But after what Gon told her today, she didn't know what to think. Breathing in deeply, she tried not to wake the others.

So.

She was Kurta?

The Kurta, a clan who, according to Gon, were famous for their Scarlet Eyes. Their eyes turned red. Rein pressed a palm against her eye. _The Phantom Troupe attacked them years ago and stole all their eyes._ All except hers? How long ago? Was she even from the clan, or did she just so happen to have the same genetic mutation?

She shook her head to clear her thoughts, ruffling the pillow case.

Stars, she didn't know what to think. She didn't know how to want to think. Did she even want to have a want to think to... want to think to think... the want... Ugh. She couldn't even think straight.

Head still muddled, she stormed as quietly as she could to the window. She fumbled with the lock for a few seconds before sliding the window open, the first crack letting in a gentle breeze. The morning sun was still rising from behind the building, so the only thing bright was the sky. A calm, cool, whispering blue, unreachable but hugging the entire world.

She took in a breath, cold air stinging in her nostrils. The air frosted when she exhaled, clearing her mind.

The Phantom Troupe attacked the Kurta years ago, stealing all of their Scarlet Eyes, to admire them before selling them at high prices. All remaining pairs were now in circulation by the darker parts of society. This Kurapika, the Chain User, was the only survivor.

Believed to be the only survivor.

Sighing, her breath clouded the world before her before fading away to become one of the clouds drifting in the sky.

She lost her memory years ago. Five years, roughly. How long ago were the Kurta attacked? Rein wasn't sure, but she had a stinking suspicion that it was five years ago.

She hadn't asked much about her past. Now that she thought of it, any time she did ask, Chrollo would give her long and drawn-out explanations, giving her many details. But essentially, he told her nothing. How he managed to make unnecessary points sound so much like they were relevant, or how he spun entire paragraphs of information from a single vague detail, she had no clue. After, he somehow always managed to turn the topic back to the Troupe. He always brought it back to the here and now, the Spider. He never dwelled on the past for long. Now that she tried to dig deeper into what she actually knew about her history, she came up empty.

Not empty like how a slate would be wiped clean after use. To her, it felt like the entire slate was just straight-up gone. The crumpled paper Chrollo had given her as a stand-in for it paled in comparison.

That's it. As soon as she saw him again, she would ask—No,—she would _demand_ for the truth. No stories, no analysis, no reminding her of her purpose was as of the moment. She didn't care about the now. She wanted the past. She wanted to know her past. The hard, cold, raw truth. She'd wring the information out of him like droplets from a wet towel if she had to... Not that she stood a chance of actually being able to do that, but still.

"Thinking?"

Rein jolted at Leorio's voice.

"O-oh. Hey." She peeled her arm from the open window. Conversation. Right. "Hey. Did the window make the room too cold? I can close it. Or did I wake you up?"

"No, it's fine. I've been awake for a while now." Reaching for his glasses, he put them on, squinting for a few seconds to get used to the sudden clearness of the world.

How much was 'a while'? Stars, she hoped she hadn't accidentally said any of her thoughts out loud. What if she let something slip about the Phantom Troupe? Then he could put two and two together and realize she was more foe than friend. Stars, no. She was sure she could take on Leorio alone if he decided to attack now. But if he told the two boys, they could attack and or interrogate her later as a group. They all knew the basics of Nen whereas Zepile seemed to be a genius, one who had a Nen ability without any knowledge of it. She was sure Zepile wouldn't be capable of physically attacking anyone, so that left only Leorio, Gon, and Killua to worry about. She'd gotten stronger during the months with Feitan and Phinks, but she wasn't sure if she could take three nen users on her own. She didn't even have a Hatsu yet, and—

"Everything okay? You seemed troubled."

Leorio had finally stopped her mental speech. Stars, she really had to stop rambling to herself. She just really hoped she hadn't said anything aloud. "Yeah, just... thinking."

"Yeah." He drew a leg up to his chest. "Me too."

For a few moments, all they did was to exist. They didn't speak, didn't think, just breathed and were present.

"So, you heading for the auctions?"

"In a couple of hours. I just couldn't sleep, thinking about the Phantom Troupe and what they did and all." Leorio stretched, spine crackling.

"Yeah," Rein said, almost too quiet for him to hear. "Me too."

He tilted his head to her. "What are you planning to do today?"

"I don't know." Her fingertips tapped at the cold windowpane. "Probably just follow Killua and Gon around. Think about the future, like I said yesterday." Rein restrained from adding in she would think about the past as well.

The alarm clock gave a faint clicking in the quiet room, switching to 8:00. The others were still wrapped in blankets, drooling and snoring in their dreams. They were so tired from staying awake until 2:00 last night, or more accurately, this morning. They were so peaceful sleeping.

A spark of an idea.

"Leorio." Rein inched closer to the curtains and grabbed. She wiggled an eyebrow.

He shielded his eyes and gave a thumbs up at what she was about to do. "Ready."

Rein threw the curtains open, curtain rings wildly screeching as they clashed against the metal rod. Brightness violently flew into the room, and groaning could be heard. "Rise and shine! A lovely new morning, isn't it? Just smell that wonderful car exhaust of a new day! Darn, how fresh!" she shouted as brightly as she could. "Say hello to the wor-"

"I'm going to kill you," Killua moaned, burying his head in his pillow. "Go away. You can't drag me from my blanket," he mumbled as he threw it over his head.

Rein grinned wickedly.

The absolute _fool._

* * *

It was morning. Rein hadn't returned.

She sighed. Whether that was good or bad, she didn't know.

Maybe Rein got her memories back. Maybe she now knew of her past, and how exactly they had tricked her. But what would happen because of that, Machi didn't want to expend even more energy to think about the possibilities. What would happen would happen. She couldn't change that if Rein wasn't there.

Machi rubbed the back of her neck as she looked at the teen dead asleep on the concrete before her.

Even lying down, it was painfully clear that he was awkwardly tall, a lanky person with a bit too much length to his limbs in the sense that he didn't know what to do with them. His hair was jet-black, ruffled and awkwardly sticking out every which way from the long night he had. It was too long to be short hair, but too short to be considered shaggy, that awkward phase of transition between hairdos. He was even sleeping awkwardly, legs strewn about while his arms were pinned under him at the most awkward of angles.

He was just... awkward.

His wrinkled shirt and repeatedly patched up jacket gave an insight into how much money he had, which couldn't have been much, though the jacket in bad need of repair seemed to be more from how his Nen affected him instead of tearing with age. His ripped jeans were about an inch too short, something he made up for with long, mismatched socks. His shoes were old, clearly broken into and loved, dust still clinging onto them from his run over to their base.

His skin was extraordinarily pale compared to his hair, even paler than Machi was. Did he not go outside? Though he was incredibly light-skinned, he did have stronger tans on the bridge of his nose and his cheeks, like a permanent blush. His eyelashes were long, and he sported a scar over his eyebrow. Upon closer inspection, Machi could detect a scar on his cheek, a nick on his ear, scratches on his hands... What did he go through?

She'd heard from Chrollo about his Nen. When he was asleep, he went into a state of Zetsu, albeit an imperfect one. She could see wisps of smoky black drifting around, like he was a bowl of soup, steaming.

A sudden large leak of aura shot out through an imperfection in his Zetsu and something—was that a cat—fell through the ceiling, causing even more colored glass to fall. The thing, which she was sure was a cat now, made an unearthly screech before darting out into the hallway in an attempt to flee.

The captive didn't even move a muscle.

He was able to sleep through that? Machi's eyebrow twitched. If that was what happened when he slept, meaning when his body enforced imperfect Zetsu, what happened when the Zetsu wasn't there? What happened when he was awake, when his aura flamed?

Machi suddenly thought back to the person who had come across her in the process of killing the man in the alleyway. Back then, it was too dark to see, so she couldn't tell. But if the falling lamppost was any indication, she was almost sure the person from before was the person sleeping in front of her now.

She was sure. Back then, his aura had been near untraceable, but it still left an impression no matter how weak it was. It felt unique. According to Chrollo, who had seen both sides of his Nen, the captive's aura flipped in between hardly being noticeable to being almost suffocatingly clear and destroying everything in its path.

Using Gyo, she admired as the aura leaking off him glowed even brighter, despite being black. The wisps leaking were twitching with power and energy, almost as if alive. It flitted about before disappearing, though occasionally a large burst would escape and she could hear either a crash or swearing coming from somewhere else in the building.

But something else caught her attention.

Hidden under his stifling aura and the unreasonable amount of hand-woven friendship bracelets on his left wrist, there was another source of Nen.

Carefully, Machi got up and went to it. Slowly so as not to wake him, she moved the friendship bracelets out of the way to take a look at the other source of Nen. It came from a piece of jewelry.

It was small, attached to a black string tied tightly around his wrist. The stone of the bracelet was carved into a hexagonal shape, with runes decorating it. It seemed to be Nen-infused. The Nen emanating from the bracelet was more refreshing than his the one from his body, a bright green relief from the strangling black.

A person with an extraordinarily unique and dangerous Nen, with a Nen-infused item. Connected, or an unfortunate coincidence?

A crashing sound came from down below, followed by a panicked "The vase!" from Shalnark.

With him, there was no way to tell.

Machi sat back down, still waiting for the time for him to wake up so she could escort him to Chrollo. She would inform Danchou of his bracelet later, but for now, she would get comfortable. It was clear he wasn't waking up anytime soon.

* * *

Kurapika was stalling, he knew. He was claiming to rest when in reality, he just couldn't think. He didn't even know if he wished to think at all. He sat at the foot of his bed, strangely exhausted from the last night. The Phantom Troupe was gone. Their head was crushed. They were really gone.

He almost tasted the tangy iron on his lips from when he'd licked chains in an earnest attempt to strengthen his conjuring.

Now that they were gone, Kurapika didn't know what to do any more.

All this time, all this energy, all his hate he'd expended toward one goal... it no longer had any meaning. The Spider's head was gone. They were neutralized. His entire Hatsu which he'd made specifically for getting rid of the Phantom Troupe. What could he do with it now? One chain was now rendered useless.

He... he couldn't...

Kurapika felt empty. He couldn't bring himself to have emotion, or even to fake it. A shell of a human, walking without a purpose. He stared at the wall.

What would he do now?

A buzzing came from his pocket and he pulled out his phone. A message from Gon. His thumb moved by itself, clicking on the notification.

His eyes softened a bit at the message, asking where he was, how he was doing, and plans to be in the park later, asking if he wanted to come. It wasn't just the fact that he could almost hear Gon chirping it in his ear even though he was miles away. The little misspellings, the bursts of text, the one smiling emoji at the end, simple yet sweet. The lack of punctuation, inserting spaces or exclamation marks where there should have been periods. The straightforward tone, with a subtle concern.

He fingered his earring.

Maybe... maybe meeting up with the others wasn't such a bad idea.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Rein is brushing a lot of things aside, something that's going to be very prominent later on.  
> Lucky is asian.  
> I need to sleep.


	19. Testing the Waters

"As I mentioned yesterday, I have questions I would like answers for. You could struggle, or you could cooperate." The leader gave a smile, far too sweet for his intent. "As you cannot leave unless we permit you to, I suggest you do the latter."

Lucky set his jaw in an attempt to hide his nerves. It was a threat, hidden under a soft tone and a perfect, practiced smile. Even then, it was undoubtedly clear. His gaze shot to his right arm for a brief moment. He should have gotten used to the pain by now, but it still throbbed every time his heart pulsed. Still red and swollen, aching, but not broken. Fractured at most. But from the realness of the threat, Lucky knew they could do far worse to him.

The leader spotted him inspecting his injured arm. "Rest assured, we will not hurt you unless need be."

Oh yes, that made him feel a lot better.

Lucky's blood pressure increased, and he struggled to lower it. A distant crash, followed by a high-pitched and frustrated " _Why_ are all the auction items breaking?"

The leader sucked in a patient breath. "How long has your..." He paused, searching for a word. "How long has your condition lasted?"

Lucky was tempted to give a sarcastic response, but he refrained. He valued his life more than his dry sense of humor as any normal person would. "My bad luck? A while. I was born with it, I think." He thought back to all the stories his family had told him about the day of his birth. He'd gotten various accounts, but the full picture was just as convoluted as the individual point of views. First, his dad fainted, unhooking the tube his mother was using for oxygen, which caused her to panic which caused the doctor to panic. Then the lights flickered and the computer malfunctioned, and then the whole fish tank incident happened... He'd entered the world with a big bang, no joke. "Yeah, I was definitely born with it."

"You're quite an interesting kid," someone said, alarmingly close to his ear.

Lucky jolted, scrambling back. It was the woman with the revealing office outfit, the... he searched for the word. Blazer. While he had been furiously thinking, the woman with the blazer had snuck up on him without his realizing. Her fingertip hovered in the air where his elbow had been.

"He's not lying for now, Danchou, but he's starting to feel threatened again." Blazer stood. "My Nen keeps flickering on and off. I can get some snippets of information, but not a lot."

"I see." The leader, or Danchou, pondered for a moment before raising his voice to Lucky. "If we wait on you to be comfortable, it will take a long time for us to get the information we want."

At a nod, Emo Loser was behind him again, an iron grip connecting his wrists. His foot was firmly planted on Lucky's back so his arms were pulled back into a strained, painful position.

Lucky tried to level his breathing, he did. His heart beat at the bars of his rib cage as he inhaled deeply. He could hardly hear anything against his pounding head and his frantic thoughts, but the Danchou's voice rang loud and clear through his panic and pain:

"So tell the truth, alright?"

As if on cue, the woman put a hand to his arm, her expression stoic and unreadable.

Lucky gulped. He knew it was cliché, but he couldn't stop himself from thinking: What did they want with him? That Danchou asked about his bad luck. Did they want to know more about that? Why were they so concerned whether he was telling the truth? Lucky just wanted to sleep, stay home, maybe study for the advanced physics test coming up next Monday. Which he realized was now this Monday... which was tomorrow. Crud.

Blazer sighed, mumbling something under her breath. From the movement of her lips, Lucky could make out a few words, like 'this', 'idiot', and something that vaguely resembled 'physics'.

Lucky was sure he hadn't said anything out loud. There was no way to know what he was thinking. Was he hallucinating now?

"Do you have any idea how your condition came to be?" Danchou's melodious voice nearly lulled Lucky into a false sense of security.

His hesitation earned him a backward tug on his arms. Lucky reined in a cry before answering. "How exactly I happened to become like this? No. My great-uncle said it'd been a long time since he'd seen someone with my—"He decided to use the Danchou's words. "—condition. Said I would 'rattle the stars' one day."

He leaned forward with genuine intrigue. "Your great-uncle. He's witnessed a phenomenon similar to yours? Do you know the details?"

"I think he was joking."

A crack resonated in the room. A loud gasp for air was followed by Lucky's guttural screaming.

* * *

"What did we say about lying?" Feitan let his broken arm drop to the ground.

Chrollo was fascinated by how the screaming captive's Nen reacted. Threatened, it was colossal. Enormous. He, Paku, and Feitan all instinctively drew up their auras to protect themselves, but it fizzled away, corroded by the sheer amount of black destruction in the air. It flashed, unsure of what to do or where to go. It flitted between the three Spiders, trying to determine which threat to neutralize. In the end, it couldn't decide, instead going haywire and striking out randomly.

More crashes from down below.

"Stop that."

"Stop?" he screamed back at Feitan. "Stop what? Screaming? You _broke_ my _arm_!" he managed to shout before tumbling into gasps and hisses and cries once again.

His aura was smothering now. Paku waved off Feitan, trying to calm the captive down before he destroyed all of the auction lots, or the entire building. "Hey," She moved to his left side, with the arm that still remained uninjured. "Everything is alright. Calm down. Breathe."

Heeding her words, he started to hyperventilate. His aura increased, engulfing the entire room. More crashes, and one side of the room started to crumble. "I-I can't—"

With a quick chop to his neck, the captive was once again unconscious. The massive black Nen was now gone, only with relatively small wisps leaving his imperfect Zetsu state. They exhaled breaths they didn't know they were holding.

Feitan drew back his hand, satisfied he had finally shut up. "He's so much work."

"Danchou!" Shalnark cried as he burst into the room. Other members of the Troupe followed closely behind. " _What_ was that? I felt the building shake. Shake! This is a multi-level cement structure, with the lower levels reinforced with various metal alloys, it can't just—"

"Was it him?" Machi asked, cutting off Shalnark's rant. She stole a look at the captive, who was slumped on the ground. Was he asleep again?

"Yes. Feitan caused the captive to feel threatened, and possibly realize just how dire of a situation he was in, which caused him to panic and his Nen to fluctuate in great amounts. Seeing a threat, Feitan made him unconscious so he would enter into his Zetsu state once more."

Machi sighed. "Feitan."

He shrugged. "I just broke arm."

Yes, she wanted to say, but the captive wasn't used to broken arms. She understood Danchou wanted to keep Feitan in the room as he had been to one to bring him, but he wasn't helping the situation. Torture may have worked just fine for other people, but this captive had the potential to be very dangerous if he was threatened too much. The greater his panic, the greater his Nen. They were fortunate his Nen hadn't targeted anyone this time around. "Danchou, should Feitan be in here? He's only threatening the captive, but this method won't be successful."

Chrollo didn't hesitate. "You're right. Machi, Shalnark, switch with Feitan. The new objective is to have him open up on his own, allowing Paku to read his memories." Chrollo's gaze drifted to the unconscious body. "Phinks, could you get some buckets of cold water?"

* * *

Lucky sputtered awake, coughing up water that entered the wrong pipe. Then the pain hit like a truck. Just one look at his arm was enough to make him nauseous.

"Hey." Pinky was before him now. Huh, what a coincidence seeing her here as well. Next to her stood a young man with platinum blond hair and bubbly sage eyes, clutching a phone with devil-like wings attached. "Hey," she repeated, waving her hand in front of Lucky's face to get his attention. "You're fine. The other man isn't allowed to be in the same room as you, at least for the next few hours. Now let's see about that broken arm." She reached for it, needle and thread in hand.

Lucky flinched back. He widened his eyes when her thread disappeared.

Devil-phone spoke up. "It's okay. She's really good at what she does."

"Stabbing my broken arm with a needle?

Devil laughed, almost _sparkling_. "She'll fix your arm, no problem. I'm supposed to keep you distracted for the time being."

She gently lifted his arm, and he hissed at the rippling pain it caused. She raised her needle, then stopped. Her icy blue eyes met his. "You need to be calm. I can't do this unless you calm down."

"I know it's kind of hard," Devil chimed in. "But your arm will be back to normal in no time. So while you were unconscious, I printed out some horrible pick-up lines to help distract you. I've even compiled a video of the most cringeworthy ask-outs recorded so you can both see and hear the pain. If that doesn't work, I have a fanfic app, and I will read out loud every single lack of detail. What fandoms are you in?"

This was not the way Lucky expected himself to go. He let loose a snort, unable to hold it in. "Death by cringe." He froze.

He felt his skin being first sliced open, but that wasn't it.

He couldn't hear Devil's nonstop talking over his wonder with what she was doing. Her thread glowed neon blue and swerved with extraordinary speed. Before his eyes, the swelling went down, his bruised skin returned to its usual tone, and he felt his bone _reconnect_. She pulled away as fast as she'd worked. "Done. Thanks for distracting him, Shal."

"No problem!" He responded with a two-fingered salute. "Just glad I didn't actually end up having to pull all that out."

Lucky inspected his arm with awe. He flexed his fingers slowly. No pain, not even a reminiscent scar. "This isn't..." He trailed off, but her cold gaze dared him to finish. "Possible?" he squeaked.

"It is possible." The man with slick hair finally spoke up, closer to Lucky than he'd been before. Their Danchou. "What makes it possible is something called Nen."

* * *

"So this Nen is energy, a power of some sort." They didn't respond, except for Devil, who nodded encouragingly. "And with time, you can use it to do certain things, things seen as essentially superpowers to the rest of the world." Lucky rolled his words around in his mouth. When did his life become like this? "And you're saying I have this power."

"Every person does, and so does every _thing_ , but to a minuscule degree. Each person's aura is different, but yours was stunning, which is part of the reason you are here now." Danchou set a wine glass before Lucky, nearly full to the brim with water. In the middle floated a small leaf. "You do not yet know how to control your Nen, but there is a surprising amount floating around you freely in a patchy Ten which occasionally delves into a Ren, so this technique should work. This is a method to test for your Nen category. There are six possible, and what happens to this glass of water and the leaf inside will let us know which category you are in." Danchou hovered his hand around the glass. "Keep your hands in this position."

"Okay." Lucky leaned forward, but Blazer didn't let go of him, instead keeping a hand on his shoulder as he brought his hands to the glass. She'd said something before about Lucky not lying, and at the time, she was right. It had bothered him until now. Perhaps she was a mind reader or an empath for her Nen power, one that relied on touch. Lucky's mind wandered as his hands waited patiently about an inch off the glass.

Her power didn't matter. It's not like he had anything to hide.

Well...

A wild screech grated his ear drums. A scrawny cat dashed into the room, hissing and bumping into seemingly every obstacle, including them and the glass. It tipped over, the spreading cracks like spiderwebs. The cat batted the leaf with a dirty paw before hissing once more and dashing back out into the hallway.

"Oh," the woman with pink hair said, breaking the long silence. "The screaming cat from before."

Danchou raised his coat to reveal another glass he'd hidden. "I brought a replacement, just in case." He gingerly plucked the leaf from the puddle, and scooped more water into the cup from a bucket before placing the leaf back into the glass.

Lucky brought his hands to it again.

A blur crashed into the glass with incredible speed, breaking it before hitting the far wall. They all turned their heads to the source of the flying object.

Lucky was pleased to repeat one of his more original nicknames in his head: Wannabe Samurai. His foot was raised in the air, and he was without one sandal. The man himself looked very perplexed, unsure of how he'd gotten into the situation. Lucky was surprised he was part of their gang as well. What were the chances of three people he'd seen in the city that night? 

"Nobunaga," Danchou started to say. "How did this happen?"

"I," He furrowed his brows, eyes seeming to sink deeper into his skull. "I don't know," he said slowly, staring curiously at his raised foot. He scowled and marched into the room, plucking his sandal off the ground with a powerful annoyance. His gaze softened when it landed on Lucky.

Lucky gave a small wave. "So. You want to discuss your life choices now, or—"

He returned to glaring once more. He shifted the sandal in his hands. "I'll get you another glass," he mumbled, shuffling his way out.

Lucky managed a nervous smile towards them all. "Sorry." Of course his bad luck had to strike here. It probably wasn't making any of these people warm up to him, and he was pretty sure Emo Loser already hated his guts. Although the blond one was nice enough, and the others seemed to tolerate him. Maybe if he could get them to let down their guard, he could escape. He thought of the many open windows of the building. Perhaps he could jump out from one of those.

A sharp squeeze of his shoulder from Blazer cut off any more consideration to the topic. Lucky didn't know what her ability was, but he had an inkling it was mind-reading to a degree. He couldn't think about any thing secret much, like what his great-uncle had given him—

"Thanks, Nobu!" Devil exclaimed, cradling the cups with one arm and giving a cheerful wave with the other. "Okay, so we have two more glass cups and one earthenware pot. Let's try to be incident free, shall we?"

"This is in no way a 'we' situation." Lucky reached out for the water-filled glass handed to him, and set it on the ground. He placed his hands around it and waited. Slowly but surely, a puddle formed under the glass. Lucky smiled, but the others seemed puzzled.

Reaching forward, the pink-haired woman lifted it up. As she held it still a drop fell from its bottom. She sighed. "This one has a crack in it."

Devil groaned. He set the final glass cup down, dropping the leaf in.

Lucky hovered his hands around the glass, again. For a few seconds, all seemed still. Lucky was naive for thinking that maybe this was finally when he could do the Nen category test incident-free, because then the ground crumbled.

He didn't even have time to scream before he was carried to stable ground by Danchou. He heard the glass shattering below them, followed by curse-filled accusations from multiple people on that floor. Lucky was surprised everyone had managed to run to the hallway before the ground gave away, and their faces offered no hint of panic or shock as to what just occurred.

"I still have the pot," Devil offered. "I filled it up with water just in case before too, and I was able to get the leaf from the glass before it crashed onto the lower level."

Lucky blindly took the pot and sat down. Devil had done all of that and somehow got to safety in less than a second? The thing was, none of the others were shocked at what he'd done, as if that skill was a normality in their group. And for all Lucky knew, it might have been.

Blazer set her hand back on his shoulder. Trying to not pay attention to her, he focused on stilling his hands as they floated above the surface of the pot.

When a bird flew in through the window, plucked the pot up and carried it into the distance, Lucky gave up. He fell back with a frustrated snort and attempted to get comfortable on the hard floor. He was still tired after all, and this wasn't helping in the slightest.

Devil bit his lip. "Osprey aren't even native to this country," he mumbled under his breath before setting his hands on his hips. "Well, we have no more cups now. Everything we have left are auction items, but I don't trust him around them. He's already broken eighteen."

A crash.

"Nineteen," he corrected through clenched teeth. "So Danchou, if his Nen keeps interfering, the water divination test will never be conclusive."

A spark entered into Danchou's eyes. "How could I have been so blind?" He slid a hand over his hair for a brief moment. "It's crystal clear. Every time, his Nen caused something to happen to the cup. The cat, Nobunaga, the crack, the ground, the Osprey. All those incidents came to the various cups because his Nen made it be. He's a Specialist."

His words sunk in. "We've solved the mystery," Devil announced, smiling once again. What was it with him and the use of the word 'we'?

The Danchou smiled as well, clearly relieved it was finally over. "Your great-uncle was right." When he tilted his head, the light reflecting off his earrings sending aquamarine rays cascading to the ground. "I also believe you are going to 'rattle the stars' one day."

Lucky knew this was a compliment. His eyes crinkled gratefully before he looked away, rubbing at his neck. The leader of the one who'd kidnapped him thought the same as his Uncle Fu. He felt a heat creep up to his ears from the compliment. Danchou may not have meant it as much, or maybe his intent was just for flattery so he could use Lucky later. But the words originally came from his great-uncle. And just knowing that another agreed with what the one person he'd looked up the most to had said... He couldn't stop a smile from spreading across his face, though he tried to hide it behind his long shaggy hair. Uncle Fu brought back good memories.

A small breath was enough to make Lucky jump back.

Blazer was so quiet he'd forgotten she was there. Her lips were pressed together firmly, and her hand was still hovering where his shoulder had been. This time, she didn't lower her hand, appearing puzzled. Crud, he hoped he hadn't let anything slip about what he had, what he held. Lucky didn't know much, but he knew these weren't good people, no matter how nice they treated him... after kidnapping him and threatening him and breaking his arm. Okay, they _were_ bad people, and he suspected he'd only yet seen the surface. Crud, if he'd let _anything_ slip...

"...Jewels, yes?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *gets Miraculous vibes*  
> yes, I got inspiration for Lucky's backstory from that, but this is not a cross over. Neither shows belong to me, I was just pulling a concept from that show


	20. Picnic, Picnic

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Uh I made both ocs specialists on accident WHOOPS  
> Although Rein will be Conjurer 99.8% of the time so hopefully that makes up for it?   
> also short chapter sorry but like my wattpad account has these and when transferring it onto ao3 I don't want to mess it up.

"I don't actually like sweets that much..." she tried to protest, in vain. Rein blinked, and turned her head to look for them. She was on a cobblestone street, in one of the older sections in the city, with various shops that stretched on for what seemed like infinity. No matter which way she looked down, the boys were nowhere in sight. Then it hit her. She peered into the window and sighed. They'd ignored her and gone inside already. 

She pushed open the light door, the little golden bell tinkling to inform the shop owners of her arrival. The aroma was sweet, of perfectly burnt sugar, of warm sourdough, of pies fluffy with mounds of whipped cream, of pastries topped off with honey drizzled nuts and powdered sugar. She breathed in through her nose, trying to fill her lungs up with the saccharine air.

Gon and Killua were alarmingly close to the pastries, thin glass being the only thing separating the sweets and their sugar-desperate hands.

A baker appeared from the back, her eyes shining at the sight of customers. "What can I get you today?"

Gon and Killua had their eyes glued to the pies before huddling together to discuss their funds and just how much they could buy without getting in trouble.

"Everything!" Killua ordered the baker, eyes dead serious.

"Killua, no, Leorio's gonna snap!" Gon pulled him forward again to discuss the topic.

The shop person gave a hearty laugh at such willing buyers before sliding out from behind the counter to Rein. "Fun kids," she sighed. "You with them?"

"Well," she said before pausing. "I... guess so. Yeah."

"That must be interesting," the baker laughed. "Do you want to buy anything while those two keep talking? It is almost lunchtime after all."

Rein looked to Gon and Killua, who were still waist-deep in heated debate of how far they could push their luck with their money given all their efforts for the auction. She shook her head at them, showing a small smile to the baker. "What do you have?"

The baker pointed to the trays and windows around the boys. "Everything on that half is desert. I don't blame you if you want a donut for lunch though, I do that sometimes. And this half," she turned, "is bread, sandwiches, pizza, the like. Take your pick."

* * *

Rein was outside, sandwich in hand as she walked down the street to peek around at the other shops. The cobblestones pressed into the soles of her feet as she walked, large and round.

Gon had told her to go ahead, and to meet at the entrance of the park in thirty minutes. He even offered her a few hundred jenny to buy something if she wanted, and said they could cover for lunch. How many sweets they would end up buying at the bakery, she had no idea.

But she was glad they asked if she wanted to leave first. If she'd requested to leave their presence from her end, they might have gotten suspicious, or offended at the very least. Killua, anyway. She needed to be on good terms with all of them, but had to be extra careful around him. She had a suspicion that he was already attempting to sniff out her true intentions.

Now she had an excuse to be away from them, and prepare for the Chain User. Since they actually knew him, it was only a matter of time before she met him face-to-face.

Finishing the last bite of her much too small sandwich, she threw the paper wrapper away in a nearby trash bin. She eyed the long street.

She needed weapons, self-confidence, and a stress-reliever, but unfortunately, none of the shops seemed to be selling those things. The latter two on her list were mostly issues with herself, but the first one was a real problem.

Weapons. The Chain User had deflected her rocks without a problem. Whether they would work against him when they met again was a gamble. Back then, he was at the peak of his potential power, and alert, in his Specialist state which gave him immense strength and skill. At least that's what she'd heard from his conversation with Uvo. Meanwhile, she'd been crying and tired from her stupid Chi which, face it, just wasn't her type of technique. That was why she'd been so reluctant to pick a Hatsu. Your Hatsu reflected _you_. But Rein was never sure whether the person she was right now was the one of her core, or if it was just a phase.

For example, one time she liked snakes. Really loved them with an undeniable passion, so much she even claimed green was her favorite color and that she wanted to base her Hatsu off of them, no matter how many times Kortopi insisted conjuring live snakes was impossible. Then at the one-week mark, everything ended. She'd drifted away from snakes, and her favorite color went back to being red.

Now, she was obsessed with flannel and rocks, though the second point seemed to stick. She started collecting rocks four years ago, and she still did, always searching for the best skipping stones, which conveniently were also the easiest to chuck at high speeds. But if this was also a phase and she wasted her Hatsu on something rock-related when in the future she might be obsessed with something completely different... she didn't want to make that mistake. She didn't want to waste her years and energy on something like that. So a long time ago, Rein had made a pact with herself to only develop her more complicated Hatsu when she was absolutely, one hundred percent _sure_ she was ready. She'd even tried to shake her own hand to seal the deal, which went about as good as one would expect.

The point was, if her Nen ability was already solidly developed, she maybe could've faced off against the Chain User. But she didn't have that kind of Hatsu, which meant what she _did_ have was a lot of problems. A lot of problems and not enough time to find solutions for them all.

She could conjure rocks pretty easily, and they acted in place of guns, fast and quick. If she just had that one approach, things would get ugly if she was put in a position where she couldn't use it, such as if her hands broke. Maybe she could try to conjure up a new weapon? That was an idea, but a terrible one. Conjuring took time and dedication, something that couldn't be replaced no matter how skilled you were. Even if Rein rushed it, it would be patchy and unreliable. She didn't even know how soon or how late she would encounter the Chain User, so she couldn't set up a schedule.

So she had to use her rocks. Any normal weapon wouldn't fare well against a Nen user unless you got really, really lucky.

Stuck with her rocks against one who was far more powerful than her. After all, he was able to... Fine, Rein could make this work; she would make it work. Attacking him head-on in normal fight was immediately crossed off of the list of options. Maybe a sneak attack, or a hit-and-run. Stay close enough so that when his back was turned to her, a simple snap of the wrist would have her rock lodged in his head.

The more she thought of that simple plan, the more it made sense in her mind. This could work. He couldn't possibly stop her rock if she was mere inches away from him, now could he?

She was sure it would work. Her mission would be over, just like that. But just thinking of it, she didn't feel satisfied. She didn't want him to have a snap-and-done death. He'd tortured Uvo for what seemed like hours to her, but in reality most likely only twenty minutes at most. Still...

Uvo was always so confident. He was never defeated, and always stood tall. Kind of cocky, but for good reason. He was strong, really strong, and he knew that. When he ever found himself in a pinch, he would think up the most craziest of ideas and succeed, no matter what. Stars, just a couple of nights ago, he'd literally bitten off part of the skull of one of his opponents. And with nothing but his neck up, he succeeded, he won like he always did, with that sassy and proud grin.

So when he didn't win, when he wasn't tall but instead bent over in an empty defeat, when he couldn't drag himself out of the pinch, when he didn't leave with a smile, when the blood in his teeth was his own instead of others'...

Uvo...

Rein had to stop, and pressed her forehead against a wall. She took in a shaky breath before slapping both sides of her face in a wake-up attempt.

Stars. She had to get her act together.

Anyway, the point. Killing the Chain User was theoretically very simple. But Rein didn't want to do that. She wanted him scared. Scared, and empty, and bent over.

How to do that though, she had no clue.

Before she knew it, she reached the park. Looking to the sleek black clock standing on the end of the street, she could tell it was exactly 12:00. Exactly thirty minutes since she had split off from the boys, and they were nowhere in sight. As soon as she'd thought it, there was a voice calling her name.

The voice had bristly black hair, and was waving with bulging bags hanging from his other hand. Gon ran toward her with a spring in his step so large the bakery items he was holding must have been turned to mush. "Rein!" he shouted, and slowed down to a jog, a large grin on his face.

She froze.

That smile. Stars, that _smile_. That... that same smile.

She dug her hands into her pockets, but unfortunately, her rock hadn't magically appeared there since that morning. She gripped another one, trying to convince herself it was an excellent substitute. That everything was normal and fine. "Hey." Smiling back took a lot more energy than she thought it would.

"Gon, you idiot! Help me with the other bags!" Killua appeared, ticked. He marched right up to them, carrying four bags while Gon only had two. He quickly shoved two into Rein's hands before making his way into the park.

"I don't remember you asking _me_ for help," Rein said, following him. "What was it you said? 'Gon, you idiot'? Then you shove the bags into my hands."

"Look, I don't know if this is a sad attempt at teasing or what—"

"Let's eat here!" Gon shouted, and ran onto the grass. The small, rolling hills held other picnickers, all peacefully chatting. The sun shone down a bit too brightly, the grass was a sicker, pale shade of green from being in the city, and the very faint hint of car exhaust lingered in the air.

It was perfect.

Rein followed, as did Killua. After getting comfortable and stretching, they lay down to rest after carrying their heavy luggage. Well Gon and Killua rested, anyway. Rein just copied them, having only carried the bags for less than a minute.

"Hey, Rein." Killua cast a glance her way. "Your skirt is weighed down with something. What's in your pocket?"

"Rocks."

"Rocks?" Gon asked.

"Yes."

Killua waited, but he got no further explanation. Knowing very well that she was toying with them and making them jump for the bait, he sighed and sat up. "Why do you have rocks in your pocket?"

"They fill up the holes in my heart," she joked dramatically, not realizing how true her words rang before she felt a pang inside of her.

"Rein—"

"Fine, if you're begging for it." Why was acting around them so easy and so hard at the same time? "I have rocks in my pocket because..." She paused. "Because..."

"Because?" Gon prodded.

"I... don't know," she said slowly. "Because I like them, I guess. I don't know why."

Killua shrugged. "What do you use them for?"

Rein shrugged back. "I grab them and I throw them, and I...that's basically it."

He narrowed his eyes. "You're weird."

Rein sat up too, puffing out her chest in a 'fight me' look before relaxing and falling back into the grass. "Yeah, maybe." She closed her eyes for a brief moment before scrambling right back up. "Wait," she said, remembering the six bags they had to carry. "Just how many things did you two _buy_?"

Gon jumped up. "Twenty five." He held up ten fingers before realizing that it was nowhere near enough to meet the number. Sheepishly, he adjusted his hands to hold a two and a five, at least to him. To her, she was looking at the number fifty two.

"All on stuff from that bakery? Food?"

"Yeah," Killua said.

Rein stared at him for a long, hard moment. "You're the weird one, not me." She gestured at the food, which Gon was already starting to take out. Opening a box revealed a cream pie that looked heavenly, and she didn't even like pie that much. "How are you going to eat all of this?"

Gon's eyes took on a daring look. "Eating contest," he hissed, almost drooling at the thought.

Rein glanced at the pie. She thought back to that one winter where she opened a packet of instant hot chocolate, dumped the whole thing in, and filled the cup to the brim with piping hot water. Only a quarter through, she already felt sick. That was a problem she countered with plain water. She didn't want it to go to waste, after all, and she somehow forced herself to keep drinking the sugar. After about ten minutes, her sick feeling faded away and she was able to drink the hot chocolate normally again, and she even finished the entire thing.

She was jumping off the walls for seven hours straight.

It's not like she didn't like sweet things. Rein just couldn't deal with them in large amounts, and Chrollo had given her an order to refrain from them as much as she could.

"Yeah, I think I'll pass. I already had a sandwich anyway." Her eyes were drawn like magnets to the pizza Gon pulled out from the bag, the cheese still melty and crisp at the edges. Her stomach growled. "Scratch that, this is mine." She grabbed the entire box. "Everything else is yours. Enjoy."

Gon and Killua had everything else out of the bags in a flash. Rein observed, chewing on her pizza which was hers and hers only. Anyone who tried to take this delicious thing from her now would end up with a broken hand.

"Ready?" Gon waited, staring Killua in the eye. "Go!"

They shoveled the sweets into their mouths like pigs, gobbling down food at a rate Rein didn't know was possible for a human being.

Suddenly, Gon spit out his pie, spraying Killua in the face with chewed up bits of mush and a few other things. He didn't seem notice what he'd just done as his eyes lit up, a happy and relieved smile growing on his face.

Rein almost spit out her food just like he had at his next exuberant word.

"Kurapika!"


	21. The Chain User

She grabbed a bottle of water and chugged. Rein gulped down her drink a bit too quickly, and struggled to keep from coughing when it burned her gullet.

The Chain User.

He looked almost innocent in daylight, without foreign blood on his clothes or the torturing actions or the death threats. Without his red hands. Without those chains.

Rein found herself gritting her teeth, but she forced her jaw to relax. Not here. Not now.

Gon left Killua behind with his food-smeared face, and jumped up to greet the blond.

"That idiot," Killua growled immediately, and slid his hand under the cream pie. He got up and snuck toward the two. The glint in his eyes suggested he was out for revenge.

Well, so was she.

She found her face becoming a bit stony and veering toward hateful, and immediately slapped a smile back on; tried to. She brought the pizza to her mouth again just to have something to do with it, so she didn't have to force herself to smile or anything. For the rest of her face, she figured if she didn't look at the Chain User, she had nothing to hate. So she brought her gaze down to the grass and thought of anything else, of clouds, the nice smell of the bakery, of her rocks... her lucky rock...

She stopped herself before she could go down that path any further. Perhaps she could seriously consider taking the Hunter Exam instead, like Gon brought up. It certainly wasn't the worst idea. Even Shalnark had a Hunter's license, and it came in very handy. Hisoka had one too, but Rein doubted he would use it in any way that was legal. He might kill a few people with it in place of his cards. She had successfully manipulated her train of thought into imagining how he would look when flicking the card up to his fingertips before doing away with his victim, when she was interrupted.

"Kurapika, this is Rein!" Gon was in front of her now, pie crust and filling smeared on his face and some in his hair. Behind him, was a face she'd made sure not to forget.

Gon pulled her up by the forearm and she finally found herself face-to-face with _him_. His blond hair, those white clothes he covered with his tribal blue, those gray, empty, clueless eyes that were... underneath, the same as hers. A peculiar mix of anger, duty, and nostalgia overcame her before she quickly shook it away. If she tried to act all friendly now, either he or Killua would notice she was acting. 

She had planned ahead for this, at least. Awkwardness was easier to fake than amiability because everyone expressed it differently. No one would question if she didn't look him in the eye, or acted differently.

Awkwardness, right.

Rein drew into herself, hunching her shoulders just a bit. "H-hey! I am umm... that is to say, I... uh..." She pursed her lips and stuck out a stiff arm. "Hello?" she squeaked. She cleared her throat. "I've heard some things about you from Gon! So... y-you're Kuri... Kira... Kura...um."

"Kurapika," he said firmly, and nodded in greeting before taking her hand.

The lack of chains almost surprised her.

"Pleased to make your acquaintance."

A fire was burning in her, and he was only fanning the flames. How could he be so polite now? So calm? So not covered in thick blood? "I-it's nice to meet you, Kurapika." Yeah, sure, real nice. It was just great. Fantastic.

She tried to strike up a conversation about the weather, but Killua soon came along and dragged Gon into another food fight. The Chain User followed them with no intention of joining in, just observing and laughing. Thankfully, it left Rein alone.

The Chain User didn't seem to recognize her yet, which was a good thing. But he would remember her soon, and she had to figure out an excuse for then, one that was in harmony with what she'd told the others. She should probably say something from her end first, so it didn't seem like she had something to hide. 

Better to be vague with intent and reasons and just get to the point. The main problem here was why she would cry over Uvo if he was a kidnapper she absolutely loathed. It would be too suspicious if she said that he was the only one sympathetic to her during her captivity. It was too much of a coincidence, and she had to face it, it just wasn't Uvo to be like that. Perhaps she could claim that he had been around her the longest as a guard at first, and she'd grown attached to him. It certainly went along the lines of stockholm syndrome; it was a bit shaky, but it would have to do. It might even work in her favor if she claimed she was in shock and mistook Kurapika as a threat. 

Not a perfect lie, but pretty darn close if she said so herself. This would work.

She looked at the Chain User, laughing at Gon and Killua playing. Why did he look so peaceful, like a weight had been lifted off his shoulders? How could he just stand there and _be_ like that?

When she gulped, it felt like she was swallowing her own heart. The lie was easy. It was her actions that would be difficult. In place of all those true emotions... awkwardness. Right. She could do this.

* * *

Gon made plans with Leorio to meet up as soon as possible back at the hotel, and they were off after they painstakingly ate what was left from the bakery. What they couldn't eat, they threw at each other, much to Rein's quiet dismay because that was _food_ and didn't deserve to be destroyed in such a way. They were walking back, on a street with a combination of pavement and pebbles which Killua found mildly bothersome.

"Hey." Killua walked up next to her, hands deep in his pockets. He decided to get straight to the point. "Why are you acting so weird? You've been strange ever since Kurapika came."

"Oh. Was it that obvious?"

"You were stuttering non-stop and one time accidentally inhaled milk when he started to talk to you," he deadpanned. "So a bit, yeah."

She buried her face into her hands. "How could I forget." Rein ran her fingers through her hair, trying to come up with a way to explain. "See, I... get awkward around new people." She paused. "I was fine around you and Gon, because you were both kids, and, well, so am I. It's usually adults I have the most problem with. But Leorio and Zepile were both drunk when I met them, so the uncomfortable factor kind of disappeared. Kurapika is the first adult I'm meeting under normal circumstances since I escaped, so I got really awkward. It's a problem I'm trying to get rid of."

Killua shook his head. "Kurapika is a teen."

Her eyes went wide. "He's a kid?"

"He's legally considered an adult in some countries though."

"But he's a _kid._ "

"I just said—"

"There is no difference," Rein enunciated, still somewhat in disbelief. "Stars," she breathed.

Suddenly, something came to Killua. Something so obvious, he was a bit embarrassed at why he didn't notice that hiccup in her lie before. "If you were held captive by the Phantom Troupe, why were you in a place with no locks and virtually nothing to stop you from running off?" A bit sudden and a while change in topic, but he didn't know how else to bring it up.

She seemed taken aback and pondered this herself for a moment before answering. "I don't think kidnappers normally tell captives the 'why' for everything," she told him for clarification. "But I think... I mean come on, they're the Phantom Troupe! You must have seen how strong they were. Even if I ran off, I would've been immediately recaptured. Believe me, I tried. But then I was able to escape with you and Gon while most of the Spiders weren't in the building. They can't have been right? Otherwise we wouldn't be here. "

He shrugged. "Yeah."

She nodded, and brought her palms to the sides of her head. "I'm sorry, I'm still getting over the fact that your Kurapika is a literal _child_ —"

Killua left her in her confusion and her very odd way of acting. Moving forward, he narrowed his eyes. Again with her lies. It made sense. It made perfect sense. But that was what bothered him. He didn't know why he just knew this girl didn't speak the truth. But she was lying, and he didn't know why. Which meant he had to figure it out or she could turn out to be dangerous.

He was absolutely sure she was simple minded. So why was she so confusing? It was annoying.

He went up to Gon and started to strike up a conversation with him. Kurapika fell back, letting the two boys walk ahead to talk without him.

Kurapika turned his attention to the girl, taking in her bouncing hair and the plaid skirt. She was strikingly similar to the one who tried to fling rocks at him, the one with Scarlet Eyes. Was she...?

"O-oh, hi, Kurapika," the girl said upon noticing his glances.

He dipped his head. "Rein, correct?"

"Um, yes. Yes!" She fell quiet, mulling over something.

"Have we met—"

"Um!" Her voice was a bit too loud for such a meaningless word. "So I wanted to thank you for... I mean yes, we meet. Met. We've met." Groaning, she shoved her head into her hands, muttering a barely audible "I'm a mess".

Kurapika didn't disagree. "We've met," he echoed to prod her on.

"Yeah. Re-remember when you killed that Spider? I was there. Sorry I, uh, you know, tried to kill you and all. I thought you were a threat, cuz you... I mean you sort of committed, well, murder before my eyes, so I sorta went into self defense, I guess. It was- it was a while before you, I mean, I realized you weren't going to attic, I mean, attack. Not attack me. Wait, no not! I uh..." She cleared her throat.

Kurapika didn't think it was possible for words to hurt so badly, yet here he was, bordering on something between secondhand embarrassment and physical pain.

But ignoring that. Rein had been the person who witnessed his fight with the Spider after all. She'd cried over the Spider, even fought against Kurapika, though it was futile. He didn't even have questions to ask in his confusion. "Take your time."

"I'm awkward, I know. Sorry," Rein mumbled. "I'll just... just get point to the straight, I mean," She didn't even try to correct her wording this time.

She was acting incredibly awkward, but somehow seemed fine when talking to Gon and Killua. Perhaps it was because they were in the same age range as her? But his age can't have been much different from hers and aside from that, she had Scarlet Eyes. He saw them that night, the bright red a stark contrast from the dark sky. She was Kurta, somehow. Connected to him. She didn't seem to know of their existence when he'd questioned her about it, so perhaps she was a descendant of one who separated from the clan long ago.

A soft smile made his way onto his expression. It was kind of nice to know that he wasn't alone, genetically speaking.

"I-I was kidnapped by the Phantom Troupe a while back. I think they wanted make to... make me one of them, but they didn't tell me exactly why. I did, I mean, I was able to escape for a bit that night you killed the Spider. I'm sorry I cried, but it's... it was... it's just that, well, he was really nice to me. I mean sure, he was part of the group that you-you know, kidnapped me and all, but some of them were kinda nicer to me. He was really nice, and you killed him pretty brutally..." She tried to laugh. "Stick- um, stockholm syndrome, am I right?"

Of course she was. A Spider being nice and charitable towards a captive—Kurapika had trouble imagining it. But one related to his clan taken by the Phantom Troupe when they had killed all their relatives? He didn't know how to feel. What... what if that person had been him, his mother, or his father? What if that person had been Pairo? Now, he was starting to see the circumstances Rein had been put through, and he did not like it. His hate started to bubble up again, but with a deep breath he relaxed. Their head was crushed. He no longer had a need to pursue them.

Noticing his expression, Rein looked away, clearly flustered from her red face. "Just, um. Thank you. Anymay, I mean anyway, I was recaptured that night because I was crying and couldn't exactly see straight and the world was blurry... bu-but then Killua and Gon came along and I was able to escape with them, so uh, you know, all ends well that... um."

At least she seemed to be handling it fine. Perhaps he should hold off telling her about their entwined past, at least for a little bit.

Then the meaning of her words reached his ears. "Gon and Killua were at the Spider's base? Why?"

"Y-you," she stared at him curiously. "You didn't know? They were kidnapped by the Phantom Troupe too."

His step faltered on the sidewalk.

* * *

The Chain User rushed ahead toward Gon and Killua to question them about their kidnapping, leaving Rein lingering behind by a few feet.

She wanted to wash her mouth out with soap. Ugh. All that stuff, those lies and that act she'd forced herself to say—or rather stutter—made her sick. Had she really just _thanked_ him?

Her face was red but it wasn't from being embarrassed and nervous like he seemed to think. It was taking a very large chunk of her willpower to not shout at him and cry, and she only had so much willpower left. She had to calm down.

Why was it so hard? She wanted to scream, if only to wring out some of her frustration. The Chain User was right in front of her eyes and she couldn't do anything. She had to wait and meanwhile, the Chain User was calm, empty, but smiling. Every little thing he did got on her nerves, and masking it was painstakingly difficult and got increasingly so. How much longer did she have to plaster on this flustered act? His light, relaxed smile, his pale hair, his gray eyes—

Those eyes that were the same as hers. Her past was mixed with his, or so she suspected. She would interrogate Chrollo about it later when she returned to base. Maybe she and the Chain User shared a certain history, maybe they were related, she didn't know. But either way, she wouldn't change her goal.

Like Chrollo said, the Troupe's bonds were thicker than blood.

Before she knew it, they were back at the hotel, and Leorio was waiting for them at the entrance. He raised his head at them. "Kurapika," he said slowly, like he was unable to believe he was really here. "Haven't seen you for a long time."

"Likewise."

Leorio held open the door for them as they entered the building, and gently let the door swing closed behind him. They headed for the elevators, chatting and bickering along the way.

Her ears perked up when Leorio changed the topic: "So I heard you killed one of the Spiders?"

Internally, she bristled, but on the outside, she kept her Ten flowing smoothly and her face just intrigued. She stepped forward to answer in the Chain User's place. "Yeah, he did. I was there, actually." All three swiveled to look at her, gazes intense. "I was able to escape for a night, but I was recaptured in an hour. But then Killua and Gon got me out so that was good." She tried to sell it off as no big deal.

"Man," Leorio shook his head sympathetically. "All that must have been hard on you."

She shrugged her shoulders. "I think I'm handling it relatively well, considering... you know, all that happened. Either that or I'm subconsciously delaying my emotional breakdown. But hey, either way it's working." She smiled.

She was stuffing her natural emotions to the bottom of the bag, alright. But believe her, as soon as she got the chance, she'd let all that rage out, and she hoped no one would stop her. Stars, all this talk of revenge was making her sound more like one of the goal-oriented Spiders. Good.

"It is admirable the way you're able to stand here today," said the Chain User.

"Ku-Kurapika! I... uh, really think so too. Not that I, I mean, I agree with you. It's not... I didn't mean like I thought that I, you say, think."

There was a collective, silent sigh in the elevator at the display of botched conversation. A ding rang though the silence, elevator doors sliding open with a whoosh. They weren't in the hallway for their rooms like she'd thought they would be. Instead, this hallway was for private rooms, available to be booked for meetings from 8:00am—9:00pm. Rein knew, because the sign said so.

"Why are you so nervous around Kurapika, Rein?" Leorio bent down, and whispered, "A crush?" 

_Stars, no_ _. Anything but that_. She whacked the side of his head, and he stumbled. "Sorry! I didn't mean to hit you so hard, and no, it's _nothing_ like that," she argued, trying to put as much emphasis on the 'nothing' as humanly possible. "I just get awkward around new adults."

"Then why were you fine with me?"

"Look at you." She gestured at him. "No one can take you seriously."

He tried to argue, raising his voice. "Hey, I can—"

"When I first met you, you were drunk and called yourself Killua's dad. My opinion of you is never going to change," she interrupted, raising her own voice as well, surprised to find it came strong naturally. She had spent five years of her life arguing with the other Spiders. Maybe it would help her stabilize. She would be sure to use that more often, especially if the Chain User would continue to show up. "Your fault, Leorio."

He scowled. "When did you get so cocky?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> NOT putting Rein and Kurapika together. Not gonna happen. He literally murders uvo and paku you think she's going to be okay with that to the point of romance? I don't think so. Besides she's like eleven. Just letting you know this is not not NOT ever going to be a thing.  
> I love Kurapika. Rein does not.


	22. Meaning "to [ ]"

It was during the seventh grade, when a classmate from his geometry class came up to him after school while he was walking home. Lucky had had a history of being picked on, but he dealt with it as best he could, and fortunately, this new middle school rival had only started partaking in verbal abuse. Lucky found a sense of smugness as he purposely walked the street that lead away from the bully's house, meaning said bully would have to walk even longer to get back home after he was done with his harassment. So Lucky was able to put up with the next few minutes as he was called trash and 'scrawny raccoon', plus a few other things that left him to wonder what kind of foul mouth had raised him. Lucky tried to laugh it off, tell him off, and he almost went as far as to flip him off, but he refrained. He had standards (or maybe he was just scared). It was hard though, not being able to defend himself properly.

Fortunately, the bully suddenly stopped harassing him just a few minutes in —for once he was happy when a lamppost fell around him—and Lucky was able to walk home. The bully never tried talking to him again.

The point was, Lucky couldn't deny "trash". He jokingly supported that statement and found no offense in it whatsoever. So yes, he wholeheartedly supported the bully's point of "trash". But up until this point, he never really understood why he'd been called a "raccoon". It had been a new insult in the list of what he'd been called. Sure, he had dark hair and usually didn't get much sleep at night and napped as much as he could during the day, but that was about as close as you could get. He was human. He couldn't possibly be a raccoon.

Except that now, while he threw himself behind rubble and practically hissed at anyone who came close to him, he could see it. He could really see it. Crud, he was turning into a raccoon, and the funny part was he had no intention of stopping.

Blazer reached out toward him again, but he scurried back, like the trash panda he was. He supposed the point of not being able to defend himself properly applied to this situation as well.

She sighed. "He's wary again."

"Just when we were starting to make progress." Pinky clucked her tongue. "Paku, what did you see of most importance?"

Realization washed over him, and never before had he been so horrified that he was in the right. Blazer _was_ a sort of mind reader!

She started to answer, and he listened intently, trying to be positive.

"The jewel around his wrist is something he's been entrusted with. It seems there's a nen power surrounding it from what I saw, but no specifics were mentioned."

Well at least it stopped there, Lucky tried to reason with himself before flinging the truth right into his own face so he could get a grip. No matter how much Blazer knew now, he was screwed.

"So?" Devil asked Lucky. His straight-on, seemingly carefree smile scared him. "What's up with that bracelet of yours?"

"Jewelry." Crud, his answer was too loud and too quick and too hasty and panicked and he wanted to die.

"Use Gyo," Pinky said simply, and nodded toward his wrist.

He tried to casually hide the bracelet behind his back, but he was too slow. For some reason, they all seemed to know one thing even though all they'd done was glance at it.

"Nen-infused?" Danchou asked, though in context, it was more a statement. He turned his eyes up to meet Lucky's, and Lucky found himself unable to tear his gaze away. "What is it?"

"I already told you!" Lucky's mind was racing. His great-uncle had never told him much about the jewels, except that they held power and were to be protected at all costs. He had left a few messages as well, most of which had been encrypted with words he hadn't understood in context. He hadn't thought much of it. But now with his knowledge of nen, the puzzle pieces were coming to light, turning themselves over onto their painted sides and clicking together. So much more made sense now. "It's just normal jewelry, okay?"

"He's lying," said Pinky.

Yeah, no duh, he thought bitterly, barely able to keep the words from popping out of his mouth.

"We still do need to get information from him." Devil put a finger to his chin, in thought.

He looked so innocent, but Lucky had a hunch he'd chosen Devil's nickname correctly. The way he looked so happy and pure amidst this dark place was disconcerting to say the least. He couldn't help but wonder if there was more to him than met the eye, something a lot more sinister hiding behind his washed-out blond bangs.

Devil spoke. "Pakunoda cannot use her ability because her Nen will fizzle out once he starts to feel threatened, or even just on guard. If Feitan tries to draw out information using his torture methods, his Nen will react greatly, and it's too volatile and unpredictable to work with. For all we know, it could target someone and kill Feitan instead. Even if we kill him, his Nen may remain and then it will certainly target us, or at the very least the one who killed him. The most logical course of action is to wait until he is comfortable and shares openly from his end."

Wonderful, he would live. Which was a very wonderful thing indeed because from what he'd just heard, someone had been planning to torture and kill him. So he wouldn't die, but with what was just said, Lucky knew they wouldn't let him go.

Well, better than nothing.

Danchou stood, and the others followed. He gently brushed off his pants, a move looking almost too humble for a person who was called, 'Danchou'. It was a title meaning leader, after all.

"Hello. We are the Phantom Troupe; the Spiders. I am the head, Chrollo Lucilfer."

Lucky marveled at how an introduction sound so regal and so casual at the same time, but quickly waved off this thought for the more important one.

Perhaps his ears were still ringing from his raccoon shrieks, but Danchou just stated they were the Phantom Troupe. As an early college student striving to get a bachelors in physics, educational geometry and library science (completely unrelated topics, he knew), he shouldn't have known much about the criminal world. But he'd come across criminals so many times that after a few months of narrow encounters, Lucky started doing his research. Now, he knew enough to know that the Phantom Troupe was a group you should never get involved with. A group hailing from Meteor City, dedicated to theft and murder. They'd killed thousands, and those were only the confirmed cases in which a lead had been left. They were outlaws ranked an A bounty for any Blacklist Hunter, and all those who tried to capture them failed as far as the public knew.

These were dangerous people, and Lucky was in the same room as them, the only thing keeping him alive being his Nen, his unluckiness. As the block of cement he was hiding behind tipped and Lucky barely managed to scurry out of the way and escape with all his bones intact before it crashed, he almost wanted to laugh at the irony.

Devil started up the introductions once more. "I'm Shalnark!" he said, a smile on his face. "Nice to meet you."

Lucky was helped to his feet before he could protest. She sighed, making it apparent his Nen was still messing up hers. "I'm Pakunoda."

"Machi."

Lucky pushed away from Blazer—Paku something—before seeing that all eyes were turned to him. Waiting.

A part of him knew that one should never give their real name to kidnappers, or any criminal for that matter. Especially a murderer. But another part of him knew lying was futile. They would know if he lied. They probably knew his real name already and were just testing him. Heck, at this point, he wouldn't be surprised if they knew his address and lack of intentional social life. Blazer was mind reader to a degree. Danchou and Devil were smart and analytical. And Emo Loser could just torture the information out of anyone, he was sure. And that was only four people. Who knew what other powers and skills the others held?

He was tired. He was kidnapped, probably bombing all his classes anyway from being unable to complete the homework from all his incidents. And all his loved ones... well, they couldn't be harmed anymore. What more did he have to lose?

"I'm Lucky."

A drone flew in and almost shaved half the hair off his head before colliding with the floor, sparking once before it died with a sad whirring noise. Then it exploded.

He held in a sigh. "Really lucky."

* * *

Chrollo liked knowing the meanings to names, and appreciated it when the name shaped the person's character. For example, his own first name meant 'leader', and his last bore the meaning 'to bring light'. The name he'd chosen for Rein meant 'to control' or 'to refrain'. He had hoped it would result in his being able to control her, refrain the usual childish urges she would get, all to make her a better Spider when she was old enough. Unfortunately, it was not going the way he planned it to. Child-rearing was indeed a challenge, but the extreme level of it was what Chrollo enjoyed. The name he'd elected for her had no impact on her personality, but it was the thought and meaning that counted. The hidden depth.

For this young man however, Chrollo couldn't imagine for the life of him why he'd been granted the name he had.

Lucky, meaning 'to have or bring luck', although he supposed that was obvious.

The captive said so himself concerning the nature of his aura: He was "definitely born with it". Pakunoda even seemed amused at the memories she was able to read at that moment, which meant it must have been true. Those who did not know of Nen brushed off the lad's incidents as bad luck, thus, to name such a chaos-causing child 'Lucky' of all options was inconceivable.

"Lucky," he repeated, feeling the word on the tip of his tongue.

"Yeah. I know."

"Would you mind telling us more about your Nen-infused jewelry?"

"Yes, I would mind very much," Lucky snapped before clasping his hand over his own mouth in horror over what had just slipped from his lips, with an underlying terror at what offended criminals could do to him. "Sorry, I didn't mean to..."

The corners of his lips tugged upwards. An unlucky child with common sense, but a tone if he tried to force it. The fact remained that he must have been bitter concerning his current circumstances. Aside from that, Chrollo suspected Lucky was not normally disrespectful, but the lack of sleep must of been getting to him. He was not trained to stay awake for long periods of time like the Spiders were.

Perhaps... perhaps Chrollo could change that.

"That will be all. Machi, escort him back to his room." 

She nodded. Walking over to where Lucky was hiding behind a mass of rubble, she gripped his shoulder a touch too hard to be welcoming. Machi tried not to show how uncomfortable she felt when her protective Ten disappeared. "Come on." Grabbing his upper arm, she started to lead him to his room.

After walking in relative silence, she observed that despite being much taller than her, there was something in his nature that made him seem much smaller than he was. He almost seemed timid, knowing and careful enough to not underestimate her. A bit cowardly and without his priorities in order, but under his circumstances she couldn't blame him. As tall as he was, he was still young. Still, for a normal citizen who had the unfortunate luck to have caught Feitan's eye, he was handling it well. When Danchou informed him they were the Phantom Troupe, she saw the words strike a chord of familiarity with him. He knew. He knew what they were capable of, but even after having his arm broken by Feitan and listening to Shalnark's detailed thoughts, he wasn't hysterical. He wasn't panicking, and this was a new phenomenon Machi had never witnessed before.

They arrived at his room. "Don't even think about escaping," she stated.

He tripped, as if he'd been thinking about doing just that. Machi had to pull him to his weak feet. "Yeah," he said quietly. "I thought, but it's impossible, isn't it. Even if I did, you'd just hunt me down. I'd be recaptured pretty quick."

He had a better grip on his situation than she'd expected him to. It wasn't a firm grip in any way, but strong enough to pull him away from the delusional category. "Yes."

Lucky rubbed at the dark bags under his eyes, and tried to joke. "I promised my teacher I would actually do my homework, and my neighbor is still waiting on a gin rummy game that I've been procrastinating on for ages.You sure you can't let me go?"

Machi pushed him inside, toward a blanket and a small tray that held food and water. "Sleep. You'll need it."

As soon as her back was turned, he heard the deep sound of a body hitting the ground. She looked back to see he was already fast asleep, not even at the blanket. Just on the concrete. She briefly considered covering his sleeping form with the blanket or maybe dragging him to it, wondering what it would feel like to tuck someone in, but she decided against it. He was still only a captive.

But for how much longer?

Machi had a gut feeling. She couldn't exactly say Danchou was looking to make Lucky a Spider. But she knew Chrollo, and the small curve in his lips gave away his thoughts. He was intrigued with the thought of a new experiment, and teaching Lucky how to control and use his Nen would prove a challenge.

With not knowing whether Rein was gone temporarily or permanently, having someone else to stress about may have been a good idea. For all of them.

* * *

"Wait out here," Killua instructed before slipping in and shutting the door in Rein's face. Her protests were ignored.

Rein was alone in the hallway, and the Chain User was out of sight and hearing range. "Private matter" and "it's between _good friends_ " and the final "we've known you for less than a day and I don't trust you". Killua. Ugh.

The way he phrased it was abrasive and a bit annoying, but she had to admit Killua had a point. She'd been with them for little less than a day—of course they didn't trust her. As much as she'd wanted it to happen, it would be suspicious for Gon to drag her into a private conversation and say "oh yeah, I just met her yesterday and so now she will always be with us to hear all your secrets".

If she were with them, she might have heard of his weaknesses, restrictions, and more. But forcing herself next to the Chain User wouldn't do anything. She had to gain his trust and wait for the perfect moment to make him bend over in his own blood, just like Uvo. Stars, why was waiting so painstakingly long? It felt like days had passed, but not even one had since she followed Gon and Killua to the Chain User.

In the meantime, she supposed she could try to listen in on their conversation from beyond the wall. She pressed herself as close to the plaster as she could, straining to pick up bits and pieces and trying to piece them together.

It was not going well.

She heard a shout from the room, but couldn't make out any words. The door slammed open on her right and she immediately dropped to the ground, inspecting the carpet with a wonderful newfound intrigue.

The Chain User was in the doorway, eyes wide. His stance was barely keeping him standing, and his breathing was deepening. "The Spiders. They're alive." He shook from tension as he straightened. "They're alive," he hissed through clenched teeth.

"What?" Rein pressed a hand against the wall, struggling to stand and feigning shock. "But-but Gon said they were dead! You said they were dead! It... it can't..." She hitched her breathing.

"The bodies were fake."

"But... no... I thought they were finally... I thought I was finally..." She made sure her voice cracked on the next word. "...free."

His chains shone for a brief moment as he tightened his fist, looking far closer to the Chain User who'd beaten Uvo to death. "They're _alive_."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> not sure about the whole Chrollo name thing but whatever.  
> (I am a happy person its just that I never sound enthusiastic in these notes because I post on ao3 as I edit what's on wattpad and editing, while a good thing to do... well, you know. editing.)


	23. Inkling of Hope

If she didn't see the resemblance to the Chain User at the moment and the Chain User back then, she could definitely see it now as he stood with the newfound knowledge that the Phantom Troupe lived. The resemblance of the Chain User ad Gon's friends and the one who had killed Uvo was striking now, even without those scarlet eyes and mid-drying blood splattered on his skin, because that was _rage_ fueling him, the burning need for revenge.

If Rein wasn't trying to hide it, she wondered if she would look exactly like him.

Her hand slipped into her pocket. He was distracted, and still thought she was on his side. Still, but fury emanated off of him, clouding his face, thoughts, and vision. He was about to hunt down the rest of the Troupe, _her_ Troupe. She could act now. One flick of the wrist and it would be done. Killing him now—

"Hey, Kurapika." Leorio popped out from the room. "Are you sure you're okay? How do you know?" Gon and Killua came out from behind him, mirroring the worried look in his eyes.

That was right. Rein drew her hand out of her pocket and let it hang by her side limply. Skilled or not, they were all Nen users who wouldn't hesitate to jump to the aid of the Chain User. One second they could buy for him meant he could attack her instead, which now put her life at risk instead of his. She couldn't go up against these three and the Chain User while they were all watching. She had to wait. Why was it so hard?

The Chain User gave his phone to Leorio, who peered at the displayed image curiously. Gon pulled down his arm, straining to look, and Leorio after a few more seconds handed the phone to the boy. He looked up slowly. "Hisoka sent you that?"

Hisoka.

"Yes," said the Chain User.

Number 4?

"I said so before, but I've been in contact with him. We have a solid agreement—" He went on, but it all flew past her ears.

The magician. The red-haired, golden-eyed magician with peculiar clothing that Phinks held a resentment for. Hisoka. He'd been in contact with the enemy? One of the Troupe? One of them. A Judas in the twelve, to put it in the words from Uvogin she heard the night of the auction attack. A traitor.

She almost laughed, and remembered her own words from in that hot air balloon. Traitor to _family_ , right, Feitan?

"We'll help you, Kurapika," Gon piped up. "When we were captured, the Spider with the sword who captured us started talking. He started to cry when he thought about the one who died. He called him his friend and said he would do anything to get revenge. Getting all selfish when they've already killed so many people." He pinched the cloth of his shorts. "That made me mad, you know? Really mad." His smile didn't vanish, but instead widened. "Kurapika, we want to stop them too. Can we help?"

Stars.

Rein hadn't thought about how Uvo's death might have impacted others. She was too deep in her own mourning and the others showed so little emotion that it never crossed her mind. Stars, she was so dumb.

Nobunaga cried? Stoic, perpetually annoyed, pun-hating, loud, easily angered Nobunaga... he'd cried. He'd been the closest to Uvogin, together since they were only eight. He may not have shown it much, but he deeply cared for Uvo. A lot. She knew that. She must have known that. Still, she didn't think, she hadn't thought that he would ever... He wasn't one to cry. Crying didn't look good on him. It just wasn't his character to... break like that. _Nobunaga_ didn't cry!

She tried to calm herself but an uneasy feeling kept bubbling in her middle, catching in her throat. Stars, why was she hearing of this from Gon, of all people? She should have thought of it herself.

So what were the others thinking? How were they dealing with it? Did any of the others cry? She didn't know. This had never happened before. Would any of the Spiders who weren't that close to Uvo cry? Were they breaking? They would mourn, but would there even be something more than that? Were they okay? Stars, she didn't know. She didn't _know_.

Rein grasped at her rocks, but none of them were truly _hers._ Stars, it wasn't the same. None of them were the same.

"Rein?" Leorio's voice nearly snapped her in half. He pulled her away from the conversation the others were having. His eyes locked into hers as he felt her forehead. "You okay? You've undergone a lot of mental strain. You should rest, otherwise it might have a negative effect on your physical health. Deep breaths. In," he demonstrated. "Out."

When had her breathing become so fast-paced and irregular? She forced her air flow to slow down to his level. Deep breaths.

"There." Leorio pulled away. "You should really rest—"

"—is the one called Pakunoda."

Rein stopped listening to Leorio as soon as she caught wind of the Chain User's conversation. She turned to them, pulling back her shoulders. Killua narrowed his eyes at her ever so slightly, but the Chain User carried on:

"She will pose the most problems in the plan. With her in the picture, the plan will have a very low chance of success, if it is even possible at all. You said she can read minds?"

"Something like that," Killua answered, hunching his shoulders. "Maybe it's more specific, but it's a mind reading of some sort for sure."

"I see." The Chain User tilted his head down in thought, much calmer than he was before. He spoke to Gon and Killua. "I need some time to come up with a plan. Are you sure you're up for this? It's dangerous. Like Killua said, there's too much risk of being found out if you get caught."

Too much of a risk? It was like a lightbulb went off in Rein's mind.

"We can do this!" Gon affirmed with full confidence. "We want to help you, and we want to stop them. Of course we'll help."

"Me too," Rein jutted in, raising her hand.

"You?" The Chain User almost looked concerned. "Are you sure you want to dive back in? You've only just escaped from the Spiders."

"Yes. Sure, some of them were nicer to me than some." She blew a raspberry and shrugged. "But they still kidnapped me, and..." She paused, wondering whether she should say it. "I don't want any more of my family to get hurt."

The Chain User attempted to smile at her. "I understand. If you feel ready, you may help with the plan."

* * *

Usually, Lucky had no problem with falling asleep because he was always so tired from having to stay awake to put up with his incidents. Sometimes his incidents would cause him to stay awake for ages, whether it be a lamppost crashed through his bedroom window and he had to get it repaired, or he had to take yet another person to the hospital, or he was running for his life from some lowlife criminal who wanted to mug him, during which he would have to run for more than was physically healthy. In the words of Tim Urban, "humans are _not_ supposed to pull two all-nighters".

His brain knew what sleeping pattern was best for him, which was an instant drop dead scheme. Because of life, Lucky was normally very good at falling asleep in seconds flat.

But today was different. Yes, he had fallen asleep once. But he had woken up again afterwards while the moon was still up, and he hadn't been able to get comfortable. For some reason, whenever he lay down he sat right back up, a churning feeling in his stomach. Like he was going to throw up, but he wasn't sick. Like he was suffocating, but able to breathe normally. Like he was falling and falling but not moving an inch. Like he was being plunged into impenetrable darkness but he was standing in the middle of the day.

To put it simply, Lucky was feeling very weird indeed. And he didn't like it.

"My, my," a voice drawled from the door frame.

Lucky jumped back. He seemed to be doing that a lot lately.

"What a difficult topic you seem to be brooding on," the voice said, finally stepping into the room with a dramatic flare. The lilt in his voice didn't give for a split second. "Something bothering you?"

"Uh. Yeah. Quite a bit, actually." Lucky squinted. Something about his flaming red hair, milk white skin and crop top seemed awfully familiar, and it hit him soon enough. This was the other person he glimpsed on a rooftop his way back home, before he'd been abducted. Great! Another late night criminal who was a Phantom Troupe member. Just great.

"Hm." Crop Top approached even closer, a kick to his hips as he swayed. "Is it because you've been kidnapped?"

"No, it's because I'm probably going to miss my advanced physics test, and having to make it up is a pain," he deadpanned. "Mrs. Kennington is just hard to deal with."

"Hm," Crop Top hummed once more, clearly not caring about anything he had to say, regardless of whether it was sarcastic or not. The star and diamond painted on his cheeks moved when he spoke. "Fight me."

An eyebrow shot up. "No?" Lucky's voice squeaked, and he cleared his throat. "No," he repeated. "Why? I can't fight, I'm terrible at physical activity. I mean sure, I have muscles, but I don't know how to use them. And the only times I've been a remotely good runner was when my life was in danger. I positively suck at any—"

Crop Top leapt forward, a blur in Lucky's view. The next thing he knew, something small and sharp was being held to his throat. It stung. Lucky froze, unable to move as it pressed into his skin. He tried not to breathe, scared of what could happen if his jugular was cut open.

"Weak. But what a lovely, dark aura you have," Crop Top purred in his ear. He pulled back to reveal the sharp item was only a card, its edges dull compared to what it felt like was about to slice Lucky's neck.

Lucky pushed away from Crop Top as hard as he could, stumbling as he did so. He was going just fine, but then he tripped. His foot swung up at the last moment, and the man watched with intrigue as he accidentally kicked a very sensitive area for a man.

Oh, crud.

Crop Top must have been in agony because that's definitely what it would have felt like for Lucky, but he rose just a moment later with a devilish smile on his face. "So it's true your aura effects the world around you. My aura completely dissipated in your presence." His tongue slipped out, but he pulled it back in. "A rather lucky hit."

Huh. "I really wouldn't use 'lucky' to describe me," Lucky laughed nervously. "It's just that everything around me gets _un_ lucky. But... thank you? I guess." Was what Crop Top said a compliment or not? He had a feeling it wasn't, but he wasn't going to show his offense here.

Crop Top held up another card, just like the one that had been pressed to his neck. This one however, had blood on its edges. Lucky's hand flew to his newly stinging cheek and a trickle of blood returned with it. So his cards could cut through his skin after all? The card was too thick for the cut on his cheek to be a paper cut, and the card when pressed to his neck seemed a lot sharper than normal. Perhaps they weren't normal cards? Maybe this whole nen concept had something to do with it.

Either way, he knew those cards could kill. Lucky stepped back, trying to appear taller than he already was to mask how threatened he felt at the sight of one, little, single card.

"Still—" Crop Top drew back his shoulders, seeming to bask in a wave of something. His eyes pulled into delighted slits, and his crawling smile grew ever wider. The look on his face alone was enough to make Lucky cower.

In a swift movement, a card was once again held to his throat, and he struggled to breathe as his wrist was caught and twisted. The man's unrelenting and sharp grip tightened as a warning when he tried to wiggle out of the man's grasp.

He tried to kick, but he couldn't. He tried to squirm, but he couldn't. He tried to break the man's hold, but he couldn't.

Was the man just that powerful, or was Lucky really that weak? This was a Phantom Troupe member, physically stronger than the average person. Lucky was very much an average person physical ability wise. With the little he'd learned of Nen, Lucky knew that most of the Phantom Troupe's power stemmed from their auras. So maybe it was in his favor that they claimed their auras vanished from his. But even without nen, he suspected they could still beat him to literal pulp in seconds flat. It was clear they took a liking to crime and inflicting pain. And Crop Top in particular, there was a creeping something about him that made Lucky want to run far, far away.

Unfortunately, he couldn't.

"—that really is a _beautiful_ aura," the man commented, his golden eyes glinting.

Crud, what was this leading to? Murder? Lucky didn't want to die yet. While he had been joking about the physics test earlier, it was still true. How would he make up the test if he was _dead_?

"Listen, man. Do you think you could, I don't know, not—"

"You want to get out of here, don't you?" he murmured, so low that it almost couldn't be heard.

Lucky blinked. He wasn't hearing things, right? "What?"

"Do you want to escape?" Crop Top's voice held a more serious tone now, but the sing-song lilt was still there, only very faint compared to before. He continued to whisper. "I have an agreement with an outside force. If I can incorporate you into that—"

"Hisoka," a voice rang out.

Lucky felt a sense of relief. Pinky.

She glared from where she stood, piercing them with her icy blues. "Step away from the captive."

The man gave in to a low chuckle before heeding her order. He pulled away, running a hand through his flowing red locks. "As you wish," he purred, smiling. The smile now was a lot softer than the one he had sent Lucky before.

Up until this point, he didn't think glaring harder was possible, but Pinky made it so. _"Leave."_

Crop Top did.

Finally, the hairs on the back of Lucky's neck were able to relax. "Thank you," he told her, and only got a cold stare in return. He rubbed at his reddening wrist. "I thought he was going to kill me or something."

"Yes," she said, breaking eye contact. "You shouldn't get mixed up with Hisoka."

He nodded, but what the man said still lingered in his mind. _Escape?_ What did he mean, escape? Was the man truly looking to help Lucky? Pinky said to not get mixed up with him, which meant she didn't trust him. If she didn't trust him, it was very plausible the other Phantom Troupe members didn't either. If he wasn't one to be trusted by them, then the man could very well have been a traitor.

If he was a traitor to the bad guys, would the man help one of the good guys? Maybe he could help Lucky actually escape. But...

He wiped away the drying blood on his cheek. Just because the Phantom Troupe didn't trust the man didn't mean Lucky _could_.

* * *

What did the Chain User say exactly? _"There's too much of a risk of being found out if you get caught"_? Now alone in the bathroom, Rein smiled with a childish glee before forcing herself to slow down.

It was perfect. If Gon and Killua were captured again, Pakunoda could read their memories, assuming she was around and without a chain in her heart. It didn't have to be much. Just an instant, just a touch and she would know exactly what they knew of the Chain User that Rein didn't. Restrictions, weaknesses, everything. What was precious to him, what his motives were, what he hated. Then they could defeat him.

Gon and Killua were both close friends of the Chain User, meaning they must have been told some of his secrets. But that wasn't the entire reason Rein was happy. Rein wanted to make the Chain User pay, bend over in his blood before he died, just like Uvo. Make those empty eyes feel something. Make him panic until he realized that he had no where else to run. Make him see the hope slowly fade way right in front of his eyes as he stood hopeless to fix it.

What better way to make the Chain User desperate than to take captive some of his closest companions? 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hisoka no no goodbye go away stay away from all of my children


	24. Stormy Weather

"I can't think of anything!" Gon yelled. He threw up his arms and crashed onto his bed, frustrated. "The Spiders were super powerful the last time we met them. Distracting them for an entire _second?"_ He mulled over their part of the Chain User's plan before he turned to her with a small pout on his face. "Can you think of anything, Rein?"

She wasn't lying when she gave her answer. "No," she sighed.

The Chain User was not underestimating the Spiders' power, understanding that the mere moment his chain shot out, they could jump out of the way. Thus, a need for a distraction, which he left Gon and Rein to figure out. It wasn't going well.

If this were about distracting _individual_ Spiders, then maybe with some thinking, Rein could have come up with a way to succeed for a second. Perhaps she could relentlessly tease Phinks, or make a show of mistreating Shalnark's phone, or trip and heavily scrape her knees on the rough sidewalk in front of Machi. For individuals, she could think up of many methods. But this was about distracting at least half the Troupe, perhaps even more. Distracting _all_ of them, even for a second, was extremely difficult. All of them were so sharp, cunning, quick and observant. She wasn't sure she could distract them all even if her life depended on it.

Fortunately, it didn't. Quite the opposite, actually. For things to work out in her favor and not the Chain User's, the Spiders had to be _not_ distracted. If they weren't, they could capture Gon and Killua in retaliation to what the Chain User did to Uvogin. With that bit of an upper hand, they could kill him.

"Rein, keep thinking," ordered Killua. "And Gon, did you figure out a plan for the auctions yet?"

"Yeah! I have an idea," he burst brightly before trailing off.

Killua squinted at him, earning himself a nervous laugh. "And? What is the percentage of possible success for this ' _idea'_?"

"For my plan, seventy, eighty percent," he estimated. Gon smiled sheepishly before adding on after a pause. "...sixty percent?"

"Gon," Killua sighed heavily, "look—"

"What auction?" Rein interrupted.

"The Southern Piece auction. There's this game that I really want to get! It may have a clue for finding my dad, or maybe just get to know what kind of person he was."

Ah, the legal auction. "Nice. But do you have money to bid?" She laughed and rubbed her stomach, still full even after six hours had passed. "You must have used at least a few thousand jenny on the picnic alone."

"Yeah." Killua huffed and crossed his arms. "What's your ' _plan'_?" he asked, with clearly no faith in his friend.

Gon was getting ready to answer when Leorio knocked on the door and let himself in. "Everyone." He didn't have to say the reason for his intrusion for them to instantly know why he was there. The serious look on his face and his light but grim smile gave it away, and the air in the room seemed to thicken under the pressure. He looked each of the kids in the eyes. "It's time to get ready."

"See ya," Killua said, walking out with his hands in his pockets. He squeezed in a last couple of words before the door clicked shut. "Good luck."

* * *

Everything was going just great. Peachy, in fact. Dandy! Couldn't be better. Lucky grit his teeth as he looked around him. Just wonderful.

He was normally not one to delve into _bitter_ sarcasm. He was more the optimistic type if anything. But the past day felt like an eternity, and the circumstances were not helping in the slightest. First of all, the way things were looking he was _so_ going to miss his test. Second, he was sleep deprived and the only place he could sleep was surrounded by cold concrete walls. Third, he was aching all over from being forced to run for infinity by his kidnapper. _Oh yeah_ —he almost said aloud this first part—and fourth: He was kidnapped. By the Phantom Troupe, no less.

Lucky rubbed at his temple, in desperate need of coffee he had no access to. He had to calm down; losing his cool here felt like losing the struggle. It was all getting to his head. He took a deep breath.

Positives? At least he wasn't dead or being actively tortured. Some of the Phantom Troupe even seemed to tolerate him, more than Emo Loser anyway. He wasn't annoying them, which meant they were far less likely to kill him. They even had a reason not to—his Nen—they'd said so themselves. He'd been kidnapped for less than a day now. Who knew what could happen in the near future? Perhaps they would release him after seeing that he only brought back luck to them? Maybe they would let him go because of his uselessness, or out of pity.

He couldn't stay with them. He had to go back. He had to finish college, take the Hunter Exam if he ever felt up for it, find what his Great-Uncle Fu entrusted to him—

Milky knuckles rapped at the wall once, calling for attention. Crop Top was at his door and smiled, a tilt to his head. "We're going."

Lucky smothered a yawn because of the inappropriate circumstances. "Excuse me?"

"We're going." Crop Top pulled him up with ease despite his protests.

"I have to _move_? Do you know how much I was made to run?" When he was forced to stand, his leg muscles screamed, and he informed Crop Top of such.

In a near instant, Lucky was being carried on the man's back. His long legs were firmly held in place by his arms. He tried to move, but the man's hold was once again unrelenting. Lucky tried to push away from him, maybe so they could lose their balance and he would fall off. The man easily countered his struggling by breaking into a sprint. The ground slipped away from them almost as if they were flying. If he fell off now, he would probably fracture a bone when he hit the ground and Lucky did not want that. He liked his bones. So with no choice left, he was forced to cling onto Crop Top's back for dear life as they raced along at alarmingly high speeds.

Why couldn't his luck—his Nen—strike? He didn't want the man to fall off of a slide or start choking or prematurely give birth, exactly, but why couldn't he just... trip or something? Why not have a tree fall, or have a sudden flash flood?

An upside to all of this was that Lucky was out of the Phantom Troupe base. Maybe Crop Top would let him go, like he'd hinted at earlier.

As if he could read his thoughts, the man glanced back and flashed canine. Looking backwards and still running dangerously close to the edge of a rooftop which let away to heavy traffic below, Lucky almost wanted to scream at him: Look at the road!

"How interesting," he drawled, his voice not out of breath despite how fast and how long he'd been running, with an eighteen-year-old weight on his back for that matter. "Your Nen is working perfectly," he said, answering the question Lucky hadn't voiced.

"Is that all? Can I go home?"

His second question went ignored. "Your Nen affects the world around you. So I stick close enough to you, and I can use you to my advantage," he explained simply. Lucky couldn't tell whether the look on his face was a good thing or a very very bad thing. "Take care of me—" he said, drawing out the last word for much longer than necessary.

Crop Top continued to run, and Lucky continued to be stared at. The gaze that refused to lift was uncomfortable and would've sent a shiver up his spine had his muscles not been sore and lifeless.

"Could you look in front? I f you fall from the building I won't be able to tell whether that was my luck or your stupidity." No answer. "Can you let me go now? Aren't I heavy?"

"Not at all."

"Like carrying a sack of grapes?" he joked. It suddenly started to pour, and Lucky held back an exasperated sigh. Seemed like his wish for a flash flood was being granted.

He spoke. His voice was of honey and nectar, but rang high and sour. "Unripe fruit."

* * *

Rein didn't know the full plan; none of them did. The only one who knew the most what the rough outline of the plan happened to be was the Chain User. But how the plan would proceed depended heavily on how the Spiders reacted. From what she'd heard, Killua was supposed to wait near the Troupe base and update them should the Spiders leave and head out into the city. Then the others would act accordingly.

Rein wondered what the rest of the Spiders were going through. What were their thoughts? She was sure they'd come up with some conclusions about the Chain User on their own. Both Chrollo and Shalnark were smart. With both of them, they should have found something. Maybe they already knew a weakness of his, or what his intent was.

The Chain User informed them of his plan as much as he was comfortable with. It was apparent his goal was to end the Phantom Troupe. His immediate target tonight was the mind reader, Pakunoda. This was so there would be no threat of his abilities being found out should Gon and Killua run into her again or be captured.

Kind of funny how that exact circumstance the boys were trying to avoid was the one she was trying to stir into action.

But... Paku.

"Hey, Rein. You doing all right?" Leorio pressed back in the driver's seat, trying to get his voice as close to her as possible. "You've been out of it ever since we started driving."

They were driving? She looked outside the rain-stained window. They didn't seem to be moving, but the lights blurred by slowly, the low rumble of a running engine undeniable. "Yeah, just thinking again. Thinking." She observed as the rain hit the glass and raced down in streams to the bottom.

"If that's all." Then Leorio—his entire body, his very soul, his aura—frowned. "I know I've said this before, but you've been under a lot of constant strain, and I can't help but feel you're still bottling it up. If you go too far, your physical health can be affected. You should take it easy tonight, maybe rest for the next week or so."

Rest? She couldn't rest. She still had so much to do, so much to destroy. Rein glanced casually over to the Chain User, trying not to let her anger spill out at how calm he appeared. Leorio was right on one point; she was bottling up her feelings. But she needed to in order to reach her goal. Keep up the mask for just a little bit longer, then she could let everything break loose.

A ringing filled the small car. Gon picked it up, saying, "Killua!" but soon handed the phone to the Chain User when he asked for it.

She hardly recognized the Chain User now. With dark, form fitting clothing, shaded glasses to match, and a long, stringy wig so pale it was almost white. It was hard to connect the one before her eyes now to the hate-filled Kurta from before.

Gon scooched closer to her, undoing his seatbelt to whisper in her ear so he wouldn't bother the Chain User's conversation. "One of Kurapika's workmates is with Killua right now, and they're tracking the Spiders together. He said there were only six. We have to distract the Spiders, but do you have an idea for that yet?"

She shook her head, straining to pick up some of the conversation on the phone. But both people on the ends of the phone line were talking in low voices, and she couldn't make out any words. "It seems pretty hard, even with only about half of them," she honestly answered.

"Yeah." Gon settled into the car cushions, brows pinched and deep in thought. "I can't think of anything yet too."

The Chain User set his phone down with a loud clack, turning to the others in the car. "They're headed towards the station. Killua and Senritsu are following them." Unfolding a map, he traced his finger along the line symbolizing the subway's route. "They're headed for the center of the city. Leorio, can you drive to the entrance of the station there?"

Leorio took this as his cue to turn onto a different street, shifting course so they would reach the site as soon as possible.

"So, Kurapika." Rein met his eyes and her anger immediately spiked. Stars, literally everything he did ticked her off. "S-so, what mile—might—I mean, what would be the... be the pan? Plan? Pacific, I mean, specifically." 

There was a collective involuntary sigh of pain for everyone in the car at her botched words. Covering up any anomalies in her behavior by stuttering was both effective and painful for everyone involved, she was sure. And the more her fury came, the more she would have to make a fool out of herself to combat that. 

Later, she would relish the look on the Chain User's face when he found out of his inevitable death. And she would _not_ stutter.

"That's difficult to say. The specifics of the plan are carried on by how the Spiders will move. Time, place, even methods will have to be improvised. If any unforeseen circumstances arise, there may even be a need to think of a new plan on the spot." He carefully folded the map back up into neat little squares. "But for now, they seem to be heading for the center of the city. That happens to be where the auctions are held, and where our hotel is located."

They drove along. Leorio was traveling well over what the speed limit allowed, and Gon was standing up, ignoring the basics of car safety. Both Kurapika and Rein were planning something that would be considered illegal in the eyes of the public. A safe car indeed.

Leorio pulled up to the curb, keeping the engine running so they could chase the Spiders as fast as possible. "Should I pull up closer?"

"No. If we're too close to them, they will be able to sense my hate, giving me away." He ran his fingers down his chains, almost anxious.

A few minutes passed, phone calls being exchanged with nothing much being said.

Then six familiar faces stepped out of the subway entrance, ever collected and calm yet always seeming to thrum with an aura ready to jump at any moment.

Machi, Kortopi, Shizuku, Nobunaga, Pakunoda, and Chrollo. Or as the Chain User called them:

"The Spiders."

* * *

"Kortopi, where are those eyes now?" Chrollo asked.

He'd been so blind. He knew the Chain User was employed by the Nostrade family, and he'd even met the young Nostrade lady and had stolen her ability. But he hadn't been able to connect the dots.

Now he understood. The Chain User had not been employed by the Nostrade family on accident. The girl he'd been hired to protect collected body parts as a hobby. Far too convenient to be a coincidence, he was able to deduce the two goals of the Chain User: to get revenge on the Phantom Troupe and to regain the eyes stolen from his clan. With Kortopi's nen copy of the Scarlet Eyes, they could track down the faux treasure and find the Chain User who was after them on the other end.

If they could kill the Chain User now, they could avoid the grim fate of their fortunes.

Kortopi hesitated for a split second before affirming. "They're on the move, traveling down slowly."

"An elevator?"

He nodded.

"I see. Kortopi's copies will only hold for so long. We must give chase now. Paku, when we encounter the Chain User, I want you to check his memories immediately."

"Yes, Danchou."

"And Nobunaga." Chrollo slid the man a faint smile before turning away, readying himself to run. "After that, you may do as you please."

Nobunaga set a hand on the handle of his sword, satisfied with the order.

* * *

The Spiders started to sprint, running so quickly that Leorio in front seemed to have trouble following.

"-fast," the Chain User gasped, almost breathless. He made no effort to hide the nature of his aura any longer.

Rein gulped, and her scalp started to prickle. This... this was hatred at work. Even from behind his dark rims, turned back and hanging hair, it was clear his eyes were now a vibrant, burning red. Was this what she was like?

The Chain User burst out of the car, and started to run after them. "I'll call! Just wait there!" he cried.

"Kurapika, come back!" Leorio shouted.

Gon threw open the car door also and ran after the Chain User, calling his name. "Wait, I have an idea! Kurapika, think up of a method! Stop and just think! Kurapika, wait!"

She had to warn the Troupe. She had to keep Gon's trust, at least for a little while longer. She had to not lose track of the Chain User in order to kill him. But right now, those goals were running out of her sight. How to grasp them?

She leapt out of the door despite Leorio's protests and screamed at the top of her lungs in hopes the Spiders would hear her and recognize her voice. "Gon! Kurapika!"

She started to run after them in the pouring rain. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Senritsu=Melody


	25. Instinct and Intent

Killua stood in the rain, Kurapika's comrade—Senritsu—next to him and listening to the conversation he was having. "Senritsu and I are outside the station," he informed Kurapika. "The Troupe is heading westward—"

 _"I know,"_ Kurapika cut him off. The phone buzzed with his voice when he spoke. _"I'm pursuing them now."_

Killua blanked. Kurapika was not this impulsive and stupid. Gon, maybe, but not the Kurta. "By yourself? Against all of them? Slow down and think, you're going to get yourself kill—" The line went dead, the low beeping tone mocking his very soul. "Tch. That idiot hung up on me!" he growled, but soon his gut twisted with dread. If he was doing such a reckless thing, was Gon...? Furiously typing away on his phone, he brought it once again to his ear. "Hey, Leorio," Killua barked as soon as his friend picked up. "Where's Gon?"

 _"He ran after Kurapika, and Rein followed."_ The honking of a horn. _"I'm trying to catch up, but the car can't move anywhere in this traffic!"_ Leorio honked the horn again, and Killua could hear the frustrated scream clawing in his throat.

Killua hung up. Why did his instinct always have to be right?

"That idiot," Killua muttered again to himself as he and Senritsu started to run west, after the Spiders and his friends. "That Kurapika's gonna get himself killed, and didn't even think it through that far. And he pulled Gon into it too! Great, now they're both in danger, and some random girl we just met yesterday is all mixed up in that. I can't believe the nerve of that guy." He just hoped Gon would be alright. Running after the Troupe alone... they'd been extremely dumb. "These people just do whatever the heck they want!" he continued to rant, surging on ahead with an exasperated yet protective determination.

Despite the inappropriate and dire circumstances, Senritsu smiled at the boy.

Many city blocks ahead, Kurapika's feet pounded the earth as he ran with Gon and Rein. Gon tried to reason with him at first, but he was hearing none of it. Eventually, they ran alongside him, giving up trying to dissuade him from his goal and decided to follow the Troupe.

The Spiders were so close. They were so, so close. Kurapika felt his eyes start to burn, but he blinked the feeling away. His mind was almost always teeming with his thoughts; factual, analyzing, rational. It came as a shock now that the only thing he could think of was catching up to the Troupe. That's all he needed to do. He could act from there. He wasn't planning ahead, and that was why all of them protested as soon as he raced out of the car. He knew he was not his normal self, but that's what he needed to be. He could think, he _should_ think, but he didn't. All Kurapika could think of was catching up to the goal that had been so far out of reach only half a year ago. Catch up. He could handle it from there.

A loud, metallic creak and snap filled the air, a thin blur of grey falling in between him and the two younger kids with a ear-grating crack. He leapt back to avoid being hit while the two surged on ahead. In a cloud of cement dust and flying specks of sidewalk, he lost sight of both of them.

Kurapika's lip curled at the obstacle. A lamppost?

His chains clinked together as he tightened his fist. His jaw set, the tenseness of the air he was giving off frightening civilians around him.

These few seconds lost would cost him dearly at the speed the others were moving at. They must have been blocks away from him now, perhaps even more if the Troupe sped up at the sudden destruction from behind them. He had to catch up, and fast. He wasn't going to risk having Gon or Rein fall into the hands of the Troupe. Not when he'd finally made such a good friend. Not when he'd finally found someone who was like him, one of him.

A small cry snapped him out of his state. His gaze flew to a small person on his left. Senritsu?

Her leg was twisted under the metal, shrouded in a protective aura that wouldn't last for long. Kurapika shoved the heavy weight off of her leg in an instant. Her skin was bruised and turning all shades of purple and green and black, but the bone seemed to be intact. "Senritsu! Can you stand?"

"Kurapika." She tried to smile, but ended up biting her lip from the pain. "I..." She took a deep breath to calm herself down. "I don't think I can, at least for a while. I'll try to use my Nen to heal as best I can, but I won't be able to walk. Sorry, Kurapika."

Kurapika bit back words, and gently helped Senritsu shift onto his back, careful not to hit her injured leg. "Is it fine if I run?" he asked once she was secured.

She sent him a true smile before shifting her bruised leg and nodding.

Kurapika sped ahead, trying to make up for the time and distance lost between him and the Troupe. Him and his goal.

* * *

"Oh my. How unfortunate."

Funny, it didn't sound like what just happened affected Crop Top in the slightest. If anything, it was only a nuisance to the man.

"That was the one I had an agreement with," he said, motioning to the person whom the lamppost barely avoided hitting. the man lightly shrugged it off and turned them away from the sight. "As long as he doesn't find out that was you, no bother."

Lucky gripped the man's back tighter because _holy_ _COW_ they must have been a dozen floors off of the ground, standing on a rooftop much too wet and slippery for anyone in their right mind to be on. He tried not to whimper. "Can you just go down to the ground? Please?"

At the slow, smug curl of his eyes clearly meaning "absolutely not", Lucky wanted to cry.

* * *

Two children weaved through the crowds, jumping over umbrellas, slipping in between any opening they found, and even scaling the walls for brief moments to maintain top speed. The finish line in both of their minds: the Phantom Troupe. Their intents, however, were entirely different.

A shout came from behind them. "Hey, Gon, Rein!"

Rein spared a glance back, but it was a meaningless action as Killua stormed right up to them in moments flat. The look on his face was clouded.

Gon's face lit up like it always seemed to do. "Ah! Killua!"

"You absolute idiots!" he shouted, and hit Gon on the head, practically fuming. "If you're going to just randomly start running after people, at least make some sort of plan! You run after them, then what? _Capture_ them?" This was scolding. Straight-to-the-point, harsh-toned, yet somehow caring scolding. "Like that's gonna work!"

Gon apologized. "I just started running after Kurapika."

"And where is he?"

They both shrugged, and Killua sighed. "Well, that probably either means he's behind, or already ahead." Knowing Kurapika, it was possible he started thinking rationally as he normally did. But something in this Kurapika was different from the one who'd taken the Hunter Exam with them. Going off of what he'd seen of him ever since arriving in Yorknew, Killua didn't think he would let go of his desperate need for revenge that calmly. Which meant there was a possibility Kurapika was still high on rage and hatred. Who knew how he would act?

They turned a sharp corner, and the Phantom Troupe was in sight. Right there. Killua felt his blood run cold.

He'd run along , but they still had no plan, and no Kurapika. Among them, Kurapika was the only one capable of defeating one of the Spiders. He'd done it before. Both he and Gon were talented (he had little idea of how Rein was), but his _own father_ said that he had difficulty assassinating a Spider years back. Surely Kurapika had been no different during his own murder.

Heh. Murder. Kurapika... that upright Kurapika who refused to kill his opponent in Trick Tower even at the cost of failing the Exam. He was a...

Killua gulped, masking it with a smile.

Kurapika was a... murderer now. Strange, how the idea set him on edge.

They ran more softly, careful not to be noticed by the Troupe. As long as they weren't spotted, Killua was sure he could think up of a plan before—

Three of the Spiders skid to a stop in front of them, preparing their weapons. 

Immediately, he and Gon changed course. As he leapt into the alley, his eyes caught on Rein, who'd made no attempt to move. Was she frozen in place, or had he overestimated her abilities? Grabbing the back of her black t-shirt, he pulled her along into the alley, covering her mouth as he did so to avoid any more mess ups on her part.

So they stood, frozen and breathing as shallowly as possible in the dimness.

"One behind the trash can, two in the alley," a woman said. After a pause, "Step out into the light."

His heart beat at the bars of his rib cage.

He met Gon's eyes first, then Rein's. Killua furiously tried to think of a plan. Perhaps if he leapt forward and jabbed his hand into the one closest to him, there would be a long enough shock factor for the other two to escape. Or he could go all out, ignore his own safety in exchange for a more reckless power. Yes, he could serve as a distraction—

A light tug on his wet raincoat stopped him. Rein pried Killua's hand off of her mouth. "We should listen to them." She nodded at him first, then to his friend across the sidewalk as she grasped his wrist a bit too tight for comfort. He got a crawling suspicion all too late as Rein pulled him into view.

The one in the black coat he'd only seen from the back was in front of them, observing the children with calm features. A sharp nose, large apathetic eyes, with raven hair slicked back and sticking to his skull. A small, inked cross decorated his forehead. So this was what the leader of the Spiders looked like.

One of the women beside him parted her lips. "The kids we captured before."

The Spiders then drew their attention to the girl, whose hands were locked onto the wrists of two boys.

The man's firm look loosened. "Rein."

Rein stuck out her chin toward the male with the tattoo. "You have a lot of explaining to do, young man." She pushed the boys toward the woman with pink hair, who promptly tied them up and threatened to cut them if they struggled. A successful capture.

He looked to Rein. Their traitor.

Tch. Why did his instinct always have to be right?

* * *

This was the right thing to do. This was what she wanted to do. What she had to do. It was what she'd known deep down she would do a long, long time ago. So why did it hurt so much to swallow under their gaze?

Killua's eyes narrowed at her before he dipped his head away in defiance. "I knew it," he muttered, just loud enough for her to hear.

Gon's eyes widened questioningly. He tried to take a step forward, but was held back by Machi and her threads. "Rein, why are you taking their side?"

"Don't worry. It's nothing personal. Between us, I mean. I just... You'll understand soon."

"But why?" Gon asked, seemingly out of pure curiosity.

At a light tap on her back from Chrollo, she shook her head. They were still allies of the Chain User. No one in their right mind gave away their intents that easily unless they were absolutely sure of victory. She wasn't _that_ dumb. But for some reason, she wanted to answer Gon. Honestly. It made no sense and could only result with them possibly having leverage over her, but she wanted to tell those puppy eyes and that shining smile.

She couldn't question herself now.

Chrollo picked up his phone once it stared to ring. "Understood. We will wait at Beitacle Hotel," Chrollo said before hanging up. "It sounds like we've got the Chain User's identity."

* * *

Kurapika watched the last scene from a distance, Senritsu holding him back with a simple touch on his arm. His eyes were so wide and burning so painfully as he could do nothing but stare at the spectacle. Senritsu's words floated transparent past his ears.

Gon, Killua, Rein. Were they all captured by the Phantom Troupe?

His breathing became ragged, and Senritsu had to grip his arm harder to bring him back to Earth.

He hadn't caught up in time.

She grappled past her pain to whisper in his ear. "We must go. They're heading for Beitacle Hotel."

He bobbed his head slowly before taking off. He needed to come up with a plan, and soon. Their lives depended on it.

* * *

"Danchou, about the Chain User," Rein spoke up. She motioned to the boys. "They're friends. While I was with them, I also saw the Chain User, and—" She stopped abruptly before pressing a finger to her heart.

She still had a chain wrapped around her heart from that night, blade at the ready. _You may not inform any of the other Spiders to my abilities_. The Chain User didn't specifically state Nen ability. She hadn't thought much of it at the time, but "abilities" was a very broad term. Did the chain act on intended order, or literal? _Break the rule I set, your heart will be crushed._ Either way, if she made a slip-up by even mentioning his physical or mental ability, there was a possibility she could die. If she spoke at all, would she still be fine?

She was so close! They were right there, and Rein knew how his chains worked, at least to some extent. If she talked, they could finally kill him. But then she would die, just like Uvo.

Rein shook her head under Chrollo's waiting gaze. "I don't think I..." She glanced at the boys. "Just ask Paku to check them when she comes. They know a lot more than I do anyway."

They started to walk, Machi with Gon tied in front of her, Shizuku with Killua, and Chrollo leading the way with a hand pressed to Rein's back.

They finally reached the hotel. As much as she wanted to drill Chrollo about her past, it had to wait, at least until this night was over with. And she wanted to inform them about every single detail on the Chain User, but that wasn't what she should do. These two things tugged at her mind, but there was a third something.

Killua, refusing to even look her way. Gon's betrayed puppy eyes, growing ever darker.

She should have expected this. Of course, while their capture was a crucial part of her plan, they did have feelings, as they were human. Rein supposed she was a traitor to them in the same way Hisoka was to the Spider. But she had good intentions. A driving reason, a desire for vengeance. Not like Hisoka. Right?

Her thoughts immediately dispersed when they entered the building. It was a rather beautiful place that obviously prided itself on presentation. With marble lining the floor, pillars as thick as tree trunks, expensive velvet couches and a glittering chandelier, it was the very definition of exquisite. She marveled.

They came to a stop at one of the marble pillars. "Wait here," Chrollo instructed, and they did.

"You bastard!" a familiar voice cried out of nowhere, frustrated. All their gazes flew to the source of the shouting; a man. "What time do you think it is?!" He threw down a newspaper, and Rein was shocked when it fluttered down to reveal Leorio. "Stupid! It's _Beitacle_ Hotel! How many times do I have to repeat myself? Huh?" He glanced their way, snarling. "What are you looking at?"

If Leorio was putting on an act, it was obvious he was trying to send some sort of message. "Danchou, he's also friends with the Chain User."

"He is?" Like always, his question came out sounding like confirmation.

"Should I kill him?" Shizuku asked.

"No." Chrollo held back a sigh and averted his gaze at Leorio's yelling. "Don't meet his eyes."

Leorio started shouting into his phone again. "Because of you failures working for me, my future's dark! Listen up! This once, I'll close my eyes and overlook this. One more mistake and you'll get it! Listen closely. _Seven on the dot_. You'd better be at the hotel by then!" With a growl that frightened the people on the ground floor back to their hotel rooms, he turned up the music on the radio and settled back, burying his nose in the newspaper.

Seven o'clock? Leorio's little play was clearly a message. But what would happen at seven? The first thing that came to mind was Gon and Killua's escape. Leorio cared about the boys, so it was obvious he would try to help them. The second possibility was the Chain User going on with his plan from before. "He just mentioned a time. While I was around the Chain User, they were planning to capture Pakunoda. Do you think that's what'll happen?" she asked.

"At seven," He echoed. Chrollo's soft grey eyes began to think, the little switch going off in them like they always did when he stared to analyze. "It is possible. But that was their original plan. Now, the circumstances are a bit different, as we have with us allies of the Chain User. The plan commencing at seven sharp could also refer to the escape of these young lads." He shifted his eyes toward the captives. "Which do you think it is?"

The two tensed and looked away.

"Paku and the others are here," Shizuku announced, as if on cue. Along with Paku were Kortopi and Nobunaga.

Upon noticing something, Nobunaga laughed. "What, you guys? You got caught again?" He smirked at Gon and Killua, who just frowned his way. "I get it now. You eventually changed your minds and wanted to join, right?" He knelt down in front of them. "Let's get along."

Killua shut him down immediately. "Like I'd want to. Actually, I wouldn't even want to look at your faces." He turned his head, tightly shutting his eyes.

"Me too!" Gon declared, and copied his friend.

Nobunaga laughed again, and stood. "Rein, you're here too?" Dodging all her swats, he ruffled her hair. "Nice to see ya again. You still hate us?"

Hate? The entire reason she went with Killua was to hunt down the Chain User for what he did to Uvo. Did Nobunaga mean her past? What else? "Well, I _have_ been _lied to_ my entire remembered life," she shot, and crossed her arms. "But no. Although you all have a lot of explaining to do, which is going to start right as soon as this all blows over."

From the corner of her eye, she saw Pakunoda approach slowly. Rein backed away. "Hey. I'm back," she tried, keeping a reasonable amount of distance between them. "Sorry, but could you stay away?" Pakunoda couldn't touch her yet. If she tried to draw memories from Rein, Rein would die. She would find a way to get rid of the chain in her heart, for sure. Then they could finally interact normally.

She shook off the eerie feeling she got.

"First things first." Chrollo slipped in, ending the personal conversation at least for the moment. "Paku, check them again. Rein says they're allied with the Chain User. They may know more specifics than you have learned about his abilities, weaknesses, and the like."

"Okay," Pakunoda responded, a hand to her hip. Again with Rein's words. _Stay away_. Why? Was it because of her ability? She froze over those questions quickly, bringing her attention back to Chrollo. "What should I ask?"

Chrollo's hands were settled comfortably in his pockets as he looked down at the boys. "Ask what they are hiding."

A smart question, one that could draw out all kinds of information at an instant. Rein could almost see the mental turmoil taking place in Killua's brain, desperately thinking. They were captured, and working to put an end to the Chain User in front of them. While Rein wasn't sorry she was helping the Spiders like she was supposed to, she did feel bad for what she'd put them through. Gon and Killua weren't her enemies, they just so happened to know the Chain User. Because of that, they had to be taken hostage. Rein would apologize later.

As Paku reached for the two boys, Killua spoke up in an attempt to delay her. "It's impossible. Your ability lets you draw out someone's memory, doesn't it? Well, we don't know much of any—"

Paku grabbed his face and held him up in the air, and did the same to Gon when he tried to do the same thing Killua did. To instill despair, she started to explain the depths of her power and how all their attempts were futile.

Rein could see Leorio tense. He must have been so worried for the two. She would apologize later to him too, for what she put him through this night. She peered through the grand windows of the hotel. This stormy, very dark night.

Wait.

Just like she hadn't thought much of the Chain User's wording, she hadn't thought too much of Leorio's. She just assumed it was how he talked, or that maybe his choice of words were because he was undercover. But remembering back, her panic grew when she thought of his phrases.

 _'My future's dark'_? ' _I'll close my eyes'_?

Something clicked. Stars, she was so dumb.

The world went black. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kurapika still thinks Rein is his ally. While Senritsu heard the Spiders were going to Beitacle hotel, over her pain and being overall late and leaving early, she didn't quite catch the short part about Rein being a traitor (which was kinda important).  
> hehehe I hurt Senritsu


	26. What You Wish For

Stars, she couldn't see anything. Stars, this was _bad_.

The all-too-familiar snap of chains rang beside her, and her hands quickly dove into her pocket. Rein fired some of her smoother stones without thinking, and she felt them hit a target.

But as her eyes started to grow adjusted to the darkness, her breathing tightened. She could hardly see though the dimness, but she could see enough. Enough to know that... No. Her target, the one she had to make bleed and bend over, her enemy... was the Chain User. Not... not _him_.

Leorio was in front of her, trying to smile at her through the pain. "I thought I told you to take it easy," he managed before crumpling to the ground.

 _No_.

That one word was the only thing echoing in her head for a few seconds when Shizuku broke it.

"Wait, where's Danchou?"

All eyes danced around the area before falling to a collective conclusion.

"The boss is gone," Nobunaga remarked, seemingly not bothered in the least. He said it with as much ease and casualty like he was joining Chrollo for their afternoon tea session. "Shizuku, hold this guy for me," he said, pushing Gon toward her, the boy still upside-down.

Rein raked in a breath. Eyes now completely adjusted to the dark, she was now able to observe freely, and she did not like what she saw.

Paku, her arm cradled carefully against her side and a hand to her cheek. Most likely injured. Machi, with a certain stone set expression that—after years of knowing her—Rein knew meant she was in pain. The absolute lack of Chrollo. The two boys, while restrained and captured still, wearing a satisfied look at what they'd just accomplished with the Chain User. Somehow, she couldn't find the will to be mad at them for it. While her eye was on Gon, his gaze swiveled towards her and landed on the man on the ground. The room was still dim, but even so, his horror-stricken face drove her stomach to knots.

" _Leorio!_ " Gon shouted.

Yes. And Leorio, who just... who she just...

Killua turned his head. His eyes widened at the sight. "Hey, you." Killua lowered his gaze, aura becoming darker and dangerous. When he finally looked up, his eyes shone with a malice she'd never seen before. "What did you do to him?"

Even though he was effectively held back by Machi, Rein took a step back at the threatening pressure. "I-I didn't—" Her eyes flitted to Leorio. Bleeding. "It was an accident!" she croaked. A lame excuse.

Killua huffed, concealing his bloodlust. "That's not an apology, and it's not fixing anything. You..." He trailed off. "I still don't trust you, but check Leorio. Don't try and hurt him more like you just did." He muttered something more. "Traitor."

All she could do was nod as she turned to take care of the man. She apologized, even though it was meaningless now.

This was Leorio she'd shot. Leorio, who'd legitimately cared for her even though she was a stranger. He'd tried to comfort her at her made-up trauma. Repeatedly told her to rest so she would stay healthy. Warned her about straining her limits and tried to preserve her mental health. He'd done that. He'd done all of that.

When she tried to shoot for the Chain User, Leorio took his place. Stars. Stars, stars, stars, _stars._

Rein tried to collect her thoughts and looked for something staunch the bleeding. She would've gotten Machi to heal him if possible, but Machi was injured right now. She wasn't in any condition to use her Nen stitches.

In a stroke of realization, she dumped out her rocks from her pockets and pulled off her skirt, suddenly extremelyglad she wore shorts under them. While her legs felt a bit chillier than usual, Rein ignored it as she pressed the flannel to Leorio's wound. She winced at his hiss.

"It's...it's okay. I'm okay. It's okay," Leorio repeated, if only to convince himself and to take his mind off of the pain. "It's o—" He suddenly cried out, cutting himself off before biting his lip to silence himself. His lip bled.

Now, she could see there were two wounds. Both the fault of her rocks. Both _her_ fault. One in his side, and one closer to his hip. Right now, she was treating the one on his side, but she needed something else for the other wound.

"You can use my jacket!" Gon offered, dangling with his ankles being held firmly by Shizuku.

Shizuku brought him to Rein, and she quickly tore off his green jacket, cutting the material with Machi's threads tied around his wrists. Before she could even think about whether she could properly apply pressure to two places at once, Pakunoda appeared. She moved to Leorio's other side and attempted to staunch the bleeding there, taking Gon's jacket on the way.

"Thanks, Paku."

She nodded, silent.

"Phinks, hurry up! Danchou's been captured," Nobunaga shouted into his phone.

* * *

A few minutes back, Kurapika ran out of Beitacle Hotel, the chained leader of the Spiders being dragged behind him. He arrived at the car parked around the corner, Senritsu already sitting in the passenger seat with her bruised leg elevated. Kurapika pushed the Spider into the car first, standing outside. "Leorio!" he shouted for his comrade.

No one came running like he'd expected. If Leorio wasn't out here by now, that meant he'd gotten held up. By who other than the Spiders? That meant... they now had in their possession four captives. Four, all very important to him.

From what he'd seen in the hotel, he could deduce that Rein was playing along, convincing the Spiders she was their ally instead of his. Perhaps she was a key part in releasing Gon, Killua, and Leorio, but where would that leave her? How would Kurapika save her from the Spider's clutches before she broke down?

For now, all he had to do was leave the place and go far, far away. Senritsu couldn't drive because of her injured leg. If he drove, he ran the high risk of either crashing the car or letting the leader of the Spiders escape. He couldn't properly maintain focus on both his chains and driving, let alone calming his temper. He'd seen how well that worked last time. But if they didn't drive, they couldn't depart from the hotel, placing all his friends in even more danger.

What would he do? What _could_ he do?

"I _told_ you, I'm in Yorknew... yeah, I'm working with the auctions," a voice came. It was approaching the car. "Anyway, how's the family?"

"You!" Kurapika pointed at the by-passer, demanding. "Get in and drive!"

The man twitched a neatly groomed eyebrow at Kurapika's order. He spoke into his cellphone. "Uh... I'll call you back." He powered off his phone and slowly placed it in his back pocket, afraid any sudden movement would alarm the intense person before him.

At his hesitance to comply with his command, Kurapika scowled. Time was of the essence. "Get in!"

Somehow, a very shocked man found himself strapped into the driver's seat of a foreign car, with people he didn't know.

"Hello," Senritsu greeted. She smiled his way, buck teeth somehow enhancing her soft, cute air. "Sorry about the suddenness. I can tell you're nervous. I'm Senritsu. That's Kurapika."

"Hurry up and drive, we don't have any time!" Kurapika yelled at him.

The man obeyed, hitting the highway faster than he'd thought possible. "Nice to meet you too," he mumbled as he switched lanes, short of breath. "I'm Zepile."

Kurapika tried to calm himself down from the adrenaline and panic that came with Leorio not showing up. "I apologize for my actions, Zepile. Don't worry," he assured him. "A number of the enemies were injured. They won't move until reinforcements arrive." He caught the Spider's eyes on him. He glared. "What are you looking at?"

"No," the Spider shook his head slightly, "I just didn't expect the Chain User to be a woman."

"Did I say I was?" Kurapika questioned, pulling off his wig. He let his blond bangs fall back into place. "You shouldn't let appearances deceive you. Anyway, be careful of what you say. You do not know what your last words will be."

"You won't kill me," the Spider said, a knowing tilt to his head. "You left your precious friends behind."

"I'm not so composed that I'll ignore your taunts!" Kurapika growled. Still, it was true, and the fact that it was stung even more. He'd left them all behind.

"The girl's fortune didn't mention this." The Spider almost chuckled. His provocation was proving effective, and all in the car could feel the tension heighten. "Therefore, this event is not significant enough to matter. Let me say this again. I consider this the same as an afternoon tea break. A peaceful outing."

Unable to withhold his rage any longer, Kurapika punched him, eyes blazing red.

"Kurapika!" Senritsu cried.

Zepile pursed his lips and drove on. What had he been dragged into?

* * *

The doors slid open, allowing entrance to Phinks, Feitan, and Shalnark.

Phinks scanned the scene before his eyes landed on Rein. She was on her knees in only her black t-shirt and shorts, her normal vivid skirt pressed against someone's side as they lay on the ground, trying not to pant. As he approached, he could hear her muttering over and over: "I'm sorry. I'm sorry."

Now Phinks had no idea who this injured man on the ground was. He certainly didn't give a flying buttress about him. Who cared if he died? Not him, for sure. But for some reason, it seemed like Rein cared. And he certainly didn't... care about that either. But after what happened with Uvo and possibly finding out about her past, this was the least he could do to show her he wasn't a total jerk.

"Here." The jacket of his tracksuit hung from his fist when he pushed it her general direction. He didn't look at her.

"Oh." Rein reached forward and accepted the offering, placing the jacket atop her skirt before continuing to apply pressure. "Thanks, Phinks."

Phinks nodded, eyes everywhere but on the girl. His hand shot out to her hair, and he ruffled it in greeting. He thought to say something, but ended up just nodding once again.

Feitan came up behind them, grumbling. "Stop muttering," he ordered Rein. Feitan ripped Phinks' shirt off of him, earning himself a curse and punch from the blond. He ignored him and tossed Phinks' shirt to Rein, more material to slow the flow of blood with. "You sound pathetic."

"Aw, thanks. You too," she shot with with a thin sincerity, distracted. She whispered a final "I'm sorry" to Leorio before giving Phinks' shirt to Pakunoda.

Phinks, chest now bare, turned to the other Spiders. "Explain."

"There was a blackout," Shizuku replied simply.

"Danchou was taken in that moment," said Nobunaga.

"Here's the message from the chain user." Kortopi handed Phinks a crumpled piece of paper, inked with large, bold letters. _Discuss their memories, I kill him_. A threat to Paku.

"Why didn't you go after him immediately?" Feitan asked.

"Machi and Paku were injured," Nobunaga tried to explain.

"So?"

"He has pro Hunters as allies."

"So?"

"Read between the lines!" exploded Nobunaga. His fingers squeezed tighter on the white-headed boy's shoulders. "It means we can use these boys as hostages. If we give chase and let them escape, it's over! Danchou's probably been captured by those chains that even Uvo couldn't break. It'll be difficult for him to escape on his own."

The two continued to bicker. Usually, Rein liked to listen to bickering. But when Phinks looked at her now, she just seemed tense. Was it because Nobunaga reminded her of how dire the situation was in theory?

"Okay," Shalnark butted in, holding up his arms. "We can argue later. For now, we need to build a plan."

Phinks' phone buzzed in his pocket. He looked at the screen. "It's Danchou." Shalnark's mouth morphed into a little 'o', and Phinks turned away from the sight. "Hello?"

_"I will give three demands."_

"This the chain user?"

_"The general rule is my demands are absolute. If you don't obey, I kill your leader immediately. First, do not follow me. Second, do not harm your hostages. Third, put the woman Pakunoda on the phone."_

"Can I ask you something first?" The chain user didn't answer, which was enough confirmation for Phinks. "It's about the second demand. The hostages put up a struggle earlier, and we had to break a few bones and stuff." A villainous grin made way across his face. This would surely catch the chain user off guard.

 _"Then we have nothing to discuss."_ The line went dead.

Oh. Crap.

Phinks redialed, a dog with its tail tucked between its legs. He hated himself for making the comparison.

" _Yes?"_

"Sorry. I lied. My mistake. The... boys are unharmed." He stole a glance at the grown man in a suit lying on the ground, shot and bleeding. Well, he technically wasn't lying.

_"This is your second chance. I trust you will take it seriously."_

As soon as Phinks handed the phone over to Paku, both Machi and Nobunaga punched him. Pakunoda wandered off to the second floor, where none could hear her conversation.

"Phinks! Could you switch with Paku?" Rein was referring to tending to the man. "Don't crush his pelvis."

"Like you know what a pelvis is." Rubbing the back of his head where he'd just been double-punched, he left Machi who was ranting to him about his own stupidity. He crouched down and looked around him. When he met the eyes of the captured boys, they only frowned and averted their gazes, stubborn. They had fire, he'd give 'em that. They had an objective, clear moral lines they drew, and they were sticking to it. They were easy to read.

But Phinks, for the life of him, couldn't figure out why Rein was trying so desperately to try and help the one she'd shot. He was probably an ally of the chain user, and she probably knew that already. It made no sense. Yet there she was, on her bare knees and sitting in the same, cramped position all for some guy that she herself shot. He'd seen the wounds. It was obviously the fault of her rocks.

Paku walked by a few minutes later, eyes straight ahead on a target none of the others could see. "Hey, Paku!" Phinks called. She didn't turn back.

"Let Paku go by herself," Nobunaga said as she left. "We're returning to the hideout. Orders from the chain user."

Who was he to boss them all around like he was in charge? "What's your point?"

"If we disobey, he'll kill the boss!"

"Are you stupid?" Phinks spat. "If that happens, we kill the chain user. And that'll be the end."

"It's what Danchou would tell us to do," Feitan agreed slowly, voice low and menacing, as usual. "Nobunaga, you insult the Spider."

"We have to follow Pakunoda now," Phinks said, still pressing his shirt to the man's injury. Not the best position to be speaking from, but Rein asked him to do this. See, that's what was ticking him off. Nobunaga made demands and ordered them around like he had the right to act as king. Rein didn't act like she was above them and therefore had to issue decrees. But Nobunaga did that and more, and his attitude only made Phinks more pissed.

"I have to concur." Shalnark raised his hand, apologetic. "There's no point in letting Paku go alone. If we follow his orders, all will go as the fortunes predicted."

Phinks continued to argue with the others and their stupid ideas of listening to the chain user for now. Until when would that be? Till half their limbs were gone? They debated for much longer than they should have, and Shizuku even brought up the idea of flipping a coin to make the final decision. As if that was going to work for such a serious problem. The flippant tone she took really made his blood boil.

Still, at rare times, she was perceptive. She finished with: "But the rules are absolute. If we reject the rules, we reject the Spider. And we also reject Danchou. I don't want to do that." Somehow, that stuck a chord with all of them. At least they had one thing in common.

"Ah!" Shalnark broke the silence. He fished out his phone, which was vibrating. "It's him."

"I'll take it," said Phinks, swiping Shal's phone. Shalnark switched places with him for taking care of the man's wound. Phinks picked up. "Hell-"

_"Put one of the hostages on the phone."_

He growled. "You little...." He aggressively shoved it next to the white-head's ear. "Here."

A moment of silence.

"For now," the boy affirmed. "But they were discussing whether or not to follow Pakunoda—"

Phinks pulled the phone away, glaring. "Watch your mouth." He put it to his own ear. "Hello, you still there?"

_"Return to your hideout in thirty minutes. You can try trickery if you want, but your leader will die. I'll call again shortly."_

As soon as Phinks lowered the phone, the other kid started to yell at him. "Wait! Stop! Call back and let _me_ speak!"

His eyelid twitched. Muttering curses under his breath, he redialed _again_ and fought the urge to throw the phone into the boy's face.

"Hello? Kurapika?" the boy asked. "Me and Killua are fine, but Leorio's seriously hurt. He's bleeding."

Machi's eyes went wide. If the he knew that the man was hurt, there was a possibility that he would kill Chrollo. "Wait!" She held out a hand toward the boy, his brown eyes now wide at her outburst. "Can I talk to him?" she asked.

"Uh...sure!"

Machi didn't let it show, but relief flooded through her. She took the phone, skipping formalities. "I have a healing ability," she stated. Some of the others tried to cut her off, but she stopped them. "With my Hatsu, I can completely fix any damages done to your friend."

 _"Then do it quickly."_ His voice was cold. " _With no hiccups. A full healing devoid of tricks and traps."_

Machi's hand hovered over her middle, where the white-headed boy had tried to kill her. She was manipulating her muscles now and able to walk normally, but she was still far from being in any condition fit to summon up that particular Hatsu along with focusing on the threads already present so the boys wouldn't escape. "I'm injured. I can't do that at the moment."

Before the chain user could hang up, Machi barreled on. "Give me an hour! I can surely do it by then. For now, I can manage a few hasty stitches, just to patch it up." She held her breath. Would it work? If Danchou died... she didn't want to think about that possibility. The chain user had to listen to her negotiation, or else everything they'd done so far would be meaningless.

 _"All right."_ She could breathe. _"Patch him up for now, and heal him completely with no trickery when you feel confident in your ability. If he or any of the others die or are further injured, your leader dies soon after."_ He hung up.

"Wait!" the green boy shouted. "Kurapika, Rein is-!" He stopped himself short upon seeing Machi lower the phone and hand it back to Shalnark. "He's gone, isn't he?"

She nodded, and made her way over to the injured man in a pinched suit. Being careful not to let the strings typing up the boys disappear, she hastily sewed up his wounds. Not her best, but as a makeshift, it would do. At least for the next hour.

"Hey!" The boy in green barked at Phinks. "Call back again! I still want to talk!"

Machi could see the veins on his forehead pop. "No. You don't have to," Phinks snapped.

"But I have to tell Kurapika that Rein is a traitor—"

"You _don't have to,"_ he snarled before turning away. "Let's go."

Machi and Rein helped the injured man to his feet, his clothes soaked through with blood. He limped along, all the way back to the base. While she'd stopped the bleeding, he'd still been shot. His internals weren't properly fixed. They tried to rush to make it to the Spider base in thirty minutes as the chain user ordered, but the man could only limp so fast.

As they walked down the street, the lights flickered, their shadows popping with life every pulse. Machi glanced up at the sky, dark yet unnaturally illuminated into a softer smoky blue by the city lights. Was Danchou okay? Were they acting as they should have done?

* * *

Lucky watched in the flickering light as the other Phantom Troupe members—like Emo Loser and Pinky—headed off. He and Crop Top had been sitting on the roof of the hotel, listening intently to what Blazer was discussing on the phone.

Or, more accurately, _Crop Top_ had been listening to the conversation over the phone. Lucky had just been hanging onto his back for dear life, trying not to look at the ground and imagine what his bones would sound like when his skull cracked open on the pavement if he fell. And how if he survived, he would have to suffer as an ambulance came and slowly succumb to death while Crop Top smiled at him from above.

Yes, he was doing a marvelous job not thinking about that.

"So," Lucky spoke up, "where are they going?"

"I wonder," the man responded, a knowing glint to his golden eyes. Fortunately, he answered seriously. "They are heading back to base, so the leader of the Spiders will not be killed."

Lucky waited for him to say more. He didn't. Lucky narrowed his eyes. "Then don't you kind of, you know, need to go back too? So Danchou doesn't die?"

"Pass," he casually remarked. "My dear friend is posing as me. This great escapade, my darling fruit, was only possible by his wonderful Hatsu—"

"Yeah, whatever." Lucky didn't roll his eyes for fear it would cause him nausea at this height. "But shouldn't you at least care about your lead- _WOAH_!"

The man took to the rooftops again, leaping and running across wet, slippery shingles with Lucky refusing to look down.

"Where are you going?" he shouted.

"Oh," he turned his head to look at Lucky while he ran, knowing it bothered the teen. "Weren't you listening to the conversation?"

" _Whose_ conversation? The one on the phone?" Lucky wanted to rub his temples when the man's eyes became slits in response. "I can't listen to that. I'm not superhuman."

Lucky was too young to be carried by a parkour clown who murdered and stole for a living. Honestly, he was too young for whatever life threw at him. He was only eighteen—

Wait.

He mentally counted on his fingers, a silly move for a person who excelled in mathematics. Today was September 4th, about 7:00...

Huh. Guess he was _nineteen_ now.

"Oops," commented Crop Top as they plummeted off a rooftop.

What a wonderful birthday.

Lucky didn't even have time to scream before he was swung to a railing on the side of a building. Crop Top hung from his fingertips as some singles fell all the way down and landed with a loud shattering, pulverized from impact.

Lucky looked to him with panicked eyes. "You nearly got us killed!"

"A brush with death," Crop Top shivered excitedly, "is a _beautiful_ thing."

As he was abducted and whisked away across dangerous rooftops by a man who didn't care less if he died an agonizing death, Lucky braved a glance back towards where the other Spiders had disappeared. He didn't completely trust the Phantom Troupe yet, but the pink-haired one had saved him from this man's crazed antics before. And he begged for Pinky to come and save him again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> in this version of the yorknew arc, Lucky's nen made it so that the hotel stayed in blackout mode, so none of the civilians took notice of our injured Oreo. (I've always wondered why no one called the police when they were talking very audibly about killing and kidnapping people. I don't think anyone in HXH world is sane).


	27. Ransom and Retrieval

Zepile was not the adventurous type. He wasn't even a Hunter, though he did start to consider taking the Exam when he met Gon and the others. Though he considered adding more spark to his life, he was an antiques trader. An antiques trader, whose idea of an adventure was raising his voice at an auction slightly higher than he normally did. In fact, the most thrilling day he'd ever had was when he was able win an ancient book before auctioning it off for an even higher price. He'd made a thirty five _thousand_ jenny profit that day.

Yes, Zepile didn't have a lot of history with excitement.

However, he knew enough to know that aiding in a kidnapping was not an everyday experience.

He glanced at the overhead mirror, which reflected back to him an image of the man in a ninth era fur-lined trench coat (a rather expensive and authentic leather one...hand-sewn, he might add) and chained up.

To be honest with himself, he wasn't quite sure why or how he'd gotten in the car, let alone started driving. Helping in a kidnapping was illegal, wasn't it? So when his body moved on its own... he didn't know what to think. Actually, he hadn't thought at all, which was a habit he should probably get rid of. 

Behind Zepile, Kurapika punched the kidnapped man in the face, so hard his chain rings left dark marks on his otherwise flawless cheek. He started to shout, then Senritsu started to shout, then the man spoke calmly which caused more infuriated shouting. Zepile scooted as far forward as possible, but their shouts grew even louder, and chaos once again broke out behind him. Fists flew, chains shook...

Zepile hunched his shoulders, confused, exasperated, and ever so slightly annoyed, forced to drive for people he had no connection to. He cast a few warning looks to the two in the back as he drove.

Kurapika pressed his stiff back into the seat in an attempt to calm himself. He drew his eyes away from the Spider, breaths slowing with each passing second. He would not allow himself to be manipulated by this monster any longer. "I'm sure you heard, Zepile;" he spoke to the driver behind closed eyelids, "Lingon Airport. Do you know the way?"

He nodded. "I've lived in Yorknew for over a decade," he blabbed, turning at a light. Why he was telling _them_ this, he had no idea. "You know, ever since I started living on my own, I've had a lot of time to trade around the city. Probably for the better, since I can't take care of children. Man, my nephew was a handful. " God, now he really was just rambling. Like one of those taxi drivers who told you their life story while you sat in the back seat, politely nodding and inspecting your nails while adding dry questions.

Zepile supposed that comparison wasn't too far off the mark.

"Oh, you have a nephew. How old is he?" Kurapika asked politely, making small talk.

They spoke for a while, formal and stiff. Zepile had moved onto the topic of his profession before he sighed. As much as he was passionate about antiques, he just had to address the more major topic at hand. "So. Kurapika. Senritsu." Zepile nodded before attempting to sort out his thoughts into clear, concise questions. "Who are you, who is _that_ , and why are you kidnapping him? And what did you mean, 'the enemy was injured'? And something about captives and friends? And on the phone, you mentioned murder? I..."

"Yes?" Senritsu asked patiently.

Zepile stole a quick look at her heavily bruised leg, concerned. Time to cut to the chase. "Can you just explain from the top? Please? I'm so confused."

Kurapika nodded slowly, understanding. He'd been desperate for a driver, and rash. No doubt pulling a normal citizen from the streets to act as a getaway driver had the man on edge.

"I really should thank you for driving. You're really helping us out," Kurapika started, to lighten the mood.

"This man is the head of the Phantom Troupe, a band who mercilessly kills and steals whatever they want, whether it be a vase or body parts from living people. They hold no value to life and treat it as if it can easily be thrown away like some..." Kurapika's heart started to race once more, and every pump of blood made his veins feel as if they would burst. His energetic mother. His caring father. Pairo, the first friend he'd ever made, and the best he could ever, _ever_ ask for. They... they!... no. This man was not worth loosing his dignity over. "They are scum themselves," he hissed, finishing with a hateful glare toward the Spider.

Zepile's curled eyebrows drew closer together. He'd heard this before. He started to piece the puzzle together, but the man in chains spoke before an idea solidified.

"You're wrong, you know."

It was as if the entire world held its breath at those simple words.

The chained man stared out the window, but something in those large eyes darkened, as if remembering something from long ago. Something he regretted. Something he'd lost? "There... there is some value to life." He quieted. "There is."

Some _body_ he'd lost.

His soft words fanned the spark in Kurapika, now flaming closer to a blazing fire. A flash of red, though he quickly masked it over into the grey of his contacts. Instead, the chains tightened around the Spider, bruising exposed skin. "Watch your words."

Chains? Intense hate towards the Phantom Troupe? The Phantom troupe stole body parts from...The realization hit him"You're _Kurapika!"_ Zepile exclaimed. Why didn't he see this sooner? It was so utterly obvious! "You're _Kurapika!"_

"Yes?"

"You're _Kurapika!"_

"Yes."

"You're _Kurapika?"_

"We've established that."

"You're..." Zepile raised a hand to his head before dropping it back to the wheel unbelievably. "Leorio and the others told me about you!"

Kurapika suddenly leaned forward, surprised. "You know them?"

"Yeah. I was helping Gon and Killua with the auctions so they could land a Greed Island game," he explained. What were the chances he'd meet the one Gon had been rambling on about for ages? It was a miracle! Though the way Gon portrayed him, he made Kurapika seem like a sweet boy with a sharp mind, quick feet, and unwavering sense of honor. Kidnapping was not the first thing that came to mind based off what he'd heard

"Hmm," the man in chains mused, a laugh and taunt hidden under a cool expression. At his next words, the others in the car froze in their seats, unable to move: "Leorio, Gon, and Killua." His detached gaze slid over to Senritsu. "Did I get their names right, Miss?"

Senritsu was incapable of dancing around his question. "Y-yes."

Zepile spared a nervous glance to the rear of the car. "Don't tell me..." But Gon and Killua had told him about Kurpika and his need for revenge, and how they were going to support him. Leorio told him he cared very much for the tense boy, and they weren't going to bail on him now, not when Kurapika needed the support of his friends most. Kurapika was strong enough to kill a Phantom Troupe member, or so Gon had speculated. He remained unharmed, but his comrade, Senritsu, was injured. And he mentioned something about even more of his comrades captured and in the Spider's grasp. While he could protect himself, he couldn't protect everybody.

"Are they captured? Were they captured by the Phantom Troupe?" Zepile asked.

The heavy silence confirmed it.

Gon, and his bright demeanor. Killua, with his surprisingly teasing side. Leorio, a deeply caring persona he hid with a claim of love for money. They were Hunters. They were strong. But this was the Phantom Troupe, a class A bounty. They'd killed thousands, as Rein had informed them. If they were captured by such...

"But they're monsters." Zepile parked next to the designated airship at Lingon, killing the engine. "They... Kurapika, they aren't going to be fine. Not for long."

He turned back to face the Kurta, and was taken aback by the dark resolve set deep in his eyes.

"That's why I have _every_ intention of getting them back."

* * *

Fortunately, they were able to make it back to base with ten minutes left to spare on the time limit, because Shalnark offered to carry Leorio the rest of the way. Shalnark eased the man onto the ground slowly before he others trickled in behind him. Rein walked in, and immediately, her eyes drifted over to a head of flaming hair, small golden eyes, and asymmetrical painted cheeks. 

"Oh my _stars,_ I'm an _idiot!"_

Gon jumped at her loud outburst.

She pointed a finger at Hisoka. How could she have forgotten something as important as this? "Hisoka's a traitor."

Phinks's eyes widened a bit in surprise before lowering back into a glare. Of course it'd be that washed-out pedo clown. He cracked his knuckles, itching to beat someone up. "What."

"He was working with the Chain User, he said so," she affirmed, a bitter expression on her face before kneeling next to the injured man again in an attempt to lift some of his pain. Clearly leaving Hisoka's fate in his hands, or rather, his fists.

"Hey, hey," Phinks said, a mock try at calming himself before he leapt for Hisoka's throat. He dodged, but Phinks was able to grab onto his wrist as he attempted to slip away, splintering the bone with a crunch that echoed through the room. "That true?"

Hisoka sighed, and didn't try to fight. "My cover has been blown," he stated. He straightened calmly, eyes bored and lacking their mischievous glint. "Let go. I'm not Hisoka."

"Then who are you?" he growled.

"That is none of your concern."

A burst of aura, crushing the fake Hisoka's arm even further. Phinks chuckled, unamused. "I think it is." He glared right into the man's eyes, but the golden irises, unusually dull, gave away nothing. Holding firm to the man's shattered forearm, Phinks dropped the subject. "Where is Hisoka?"

He tilted his head, the most emotion-filled action he'd made so far. "I don't know. He didn't say."

In another burst of aura, Phinks crushed the man's entire arm, bone now shrapnel all the way to his shoulder. It didn't effect the man in the slightest. "You bastard—"

"Phinks," Franklin called out, warning. "It doesn't matter. He doesn't know anything. Let it go."

Giving a final growl, he pushed the battered arm away from him, done. He hadn't even gotten to punch that perfectly sculpted, annoying nose. "Fine," he spat, turning as the fake Hisoka left through an open window. With all that had gone down lately, he'd really wanted to beat that clown to shreds. Now, with the clown AWOL, he wanted to crush that sickeningly smug face more than ever. With Danchou captured, the pedo a traitor, others acting like they were above him, Phinks just wished nothing else would tick him off that night.

His wish was not granted.

The base of his annoyance this time? Pakunoda. She stood before them all about ten minutes later, relaying commands. "The chain user has orders to release his comrades unharmed, before midnight, without any tricks. Machi is to go alone, patching up the injured man as best she can before departing. At the designated site, he will order her to heal him." She looked to Rein. "He also said to bring the girl, which I'm assuming is you."

An overwhelming amount of orders, each more controlling than the next. "Does he _really_ expect us to accept those conditions?" Phinks scoffed, crossing his arms.

She remained silent, staring him down.

He glared right back. "Tell us where he _is_ , Pakunoda. We'll kill the brats, and go deal with that chain user." For having just indirectly threatened the boys, he was getting an unsatisfactory amount of reaction out of them, which was close to none.

"No matter what?" asked Machi.

"No matter what," he repeated. "You don't talk, I won't let you leave."

"I refuse to tell you where he is, and the one who is taking the kids is Machi _alone,_ " Paku snapped, alarming them with her harsh tone. All for what? Some slim chance of getting Danchou back through trade? "Don't get in the way."

"Get in the way?" he snapped right back, ready to jump at her. "Who's line is that, huh?"

"Machi, you go." Paku glared at Phinks as she spoke, holding a hand in front of Machi to give her a head start. "We'll stop them here." Phinks couldn't seem to get it through his thick skull. The chain user was strong, powerful. Any impulsive move they made could result in Chrollo's death. He already had a chain wrapped around his heart, restricting his capacity to fight back with the cost of instant death if he did. She couldn't fully explain to the Spiders or else she would die as well, but why couldn't they understand that her method was the best, taking into consideration the circumstances? Why couldn't they just trust her?

"Stop?" Feitan repeated under his breath. His aura flared. "You insulting us?"

"Feitan—" Rein tried to say, but was ignored.

The tension enough to crumple non-Nen users, the Spiders faced off, readying themselves for whatever they would have to do. Phinks sighed. "Seriously? I don't get it. Have you all done something to your heads?"

"I bet they were done in by chain user before we arrived," Feitan stated. "They're manipulated. Waste of time. I'll make them talk."

"Feitan, no, they're not, I was there, and the Chain User—" No one listened to Rein's protests as Gon raised his voice.

Gon gnashed his teeth, hostile. "You _really_ don't understand?" he asked. "Why Pakunoda wants to go on with the plan without saying a word? Why Machi is listening? Why Pakunoda is stopping you? You honestly think they're being controlled? It's because they want to rescue your leader!" He pulled against his iron restraints, yelling with all he had. "You _really_ can't understand the desire to save a friend?!"

"Shut up, brat!" Phinks' lip curled in disgust. "Are you really that desperate to be spared?"

Gon broke the restraints chaining him to a wall easily. He immediately got to his feet, angry. Cheerful Gon, angry. The darkest expression filled every single line on his face. "I'm not saying this for me. _Take that back!"_

After a moment of silence, Killua hung his head. "Good grief," he commented before breaking out of his restraints easily.

Feitan's aura spiked, but Phinks held him back. He spoke to Gon. "I don't like that. You have a problem, come here. The second you take a step, I'll rip your head off," he threatened, cracking knuckles once more.

"Like I'm going to move!" Gon shot back, now every bit the boy Rein had come to know over the past day. "Kurapika isn't like you. No matter how much he hates someone, he wouldn't lose control and kill them without mercy. If he makes a promise, he's never going to break it! After meeting him, Pakunoda should know this." He glanced her way. "Rein too. Right?"

'Lose control and kill him without mercy' was exactly what the Chain User had done. He'd... Uvo...

For some reason, instead of feeling hatred at the memory, her heart hurt. Stars, it hurt. Shaking her head clear of her thoughts, she answered Gon's question.

Rein didn't want to say yes. She didn't even believe what Gon said was correct, not after what she'd seen the Chain User do. Saying yes was a betrayal, both to herself and Uvo. But if she said no, it would only encourage Phinks and Feitan, which would ultimately lead to Chrollo's death. Not only his, but Gon, Killua, and Leorio's as well. They hadn't done anything wrong, and more importantly, she didn't want anything to happen to them. She could not answer yes or no. So she answered honestly, in the only way she could.

Rein blew a raspberry.

Gon grinned her way before turning back to Phinks, boldly declaring their leader would come back, without a doubt.

Rein saw how Phinks hesitated. Drifting between the choices of sticking with his initial claim, or allowing himself to be swayed by a mere boy—the enemy, no less. His steady gaze flitted to Gon's eager eyes, to Machi's unwielding stance, to Pakunoda's set resolve, to Rein, who was just herself. He turned to Feitan, silently asking for permission like a dog would to its owner. He only got a roll of the eyes.

Phinks crossed his arms, not wanting to support the fact he was giving in. "Do what you want."

Machi wasted no time in gathering the four people before she left for the destination Paku whispered in her ear.

* * *

Shalnark's phone rang, and Phinks answered. "Hell-"

_"Put the hostages on the phone."_

How he hated the chain user and his communication methods. "They just left."

 _"Then get some evidence to me that the rest of the Spiders are together, under a minute or your leader is dead."_ That annoying, dull buzzing of letting him know the call had ended filled Phinks' head again. The noise made him want to pull his hair out. Would Shalnark really mind if he smashed his phone? Just a little bit? Man, it would feel so good—

Upon realizing what he would have to do to fulfill the chain user's wishes, Phinks swore under his breath before raising his voice for the Hisoka stand-in. "Hey, you!" he bellowed. "You haven't left! I know you're still here!"

A head of blazing red hair appeared, staring blankly at him.

"You." Phinks stuck a thumb behind him. "Get over here. And hide that arm."

The chain user wanted evidence all the Spiders were together. For now, the fake Hisoka would have to do. Words could not possibly convince him, so a picture of sorts was the only method that would prove to him they were still at base and following his orders. However, one could not take a picture in a normal way, or else he would be left out of said photo. Meaning he, Phinks, dignified Phinks... had to take a selfie.

He really hated this chain user.

* * *

Everything had been going according to plan. _Had been._

As soon as their airship and the airship holding Gon, Killua, Leorio, Rein, and the one called Machi took off, it all seemed to be smooth sailing, at least until the airship holding the majority of his friends plummeted to the ground.

Kurapika pressed against the window as hard as he could, not breathing until he saw all of their figures leave the airship safe and sound.

But as soon as he caught glimpse of bright red locks, his breathing hitched again. Kurapika looked at the picture that had been sent to his phone, the one where all the Spiders except for the leader and Machi were in. He glanced at Hisoka in the picture, expression blank and throwing up a peace sign. He looked to Hisoka, right below his airship and right next to the one that had crashed. The picture had been sent ten minutes ago. Did Hisoka really sprint all the way from the base to the secret meeting location in just that short amount of time?

His phone rang, and Kurapika's hands were shaky as he picked up.

Hisoka.

* * *

Lucky let out a nervous laugh as Crop Top lowered him to the ground to make a call. He looked at the crash-landed airship, smoking from the crushed engine and never to fly again. He met the eyes of the Spider. "Hey, Pinky," he tried, earning only a bewildered look from her, not to mention from the other four he'd never set his eyes on before. "I, uh... Sorry about the ship."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Things that have changed from canon:  
> -Machi is partaking in the exchange instead of Paku  
> -Timelines slightly different; Hisoka would never had been able to board had Lucky not completely decimated the airship.


	28. Ready As I'll Ever Be

Machi glared at Hisoka. " _Why_ are _you_ here?" she finally questioned, on the replacement airship they'd gotten on short notice.

Hisoka flicked through his card deck, barely masking his smug air. "My target is the boss," he offered, and left them hanging on that single vague piece of information, toying with her.

"Right." She looked to Lucky, eyes narrowing at the awkward half-smile he sent her as apology. The one with the destructive Nen. Such a person would only cause them misfortune, though perhaps that was why Hisoka had brought him along. Any misfortune to them would be an advantage to him as the traitor.

Still, she asked: "And why is _he_ here?"

It was a question to Hisoka, but the dark-haired one spoke up instead, addressing them all.

"First of all, if the ship crashes and we all die, I apologize in advance—"

* * *

For now, everything seemed to be flowing without hiccups. The ships had taken off, and his friends were safe in the other airship, though now Hisoka was with them. The leader of the Spiders was still in his hands. Leorio would be healed soon. The exchange could take place smoothly. With the extra restriction he'd placed on the leader of the Spiders, he would never be able to interact with any member of the Phantom Troupe again. Unable to meet with their leader, they would be crushed. Everything was ideal and in his favor.

But.

But was this right? Would this truly crush the Spiders? Was this really the answer? Could this finally be the end to their reign?

And more importantly, the most difficult question to ask: where did his actions as of late lie with himself?

Kurapika was not proud of what he'd done, no matter how much he didn't want to admit it. He wanted to feel accomplished, he _should_ have felt accomplished. But even after successfully killing a Spider, after kidnapping their leader, after everything was going his way, he still felt empty. He'd been so successful in everything he'd done. He'd planned ahead, and pulled through, steadily rising as a soon-to-be victor. Why wasn't he satisfied? This had been his goal since five years ago. Since the Kurta massacre.

Perhaps it was because he'd stooped to murder. To murder and kidnapping and torture. Perhaps his steps toward revenge were conflicting with the values of his clan, and his own morals. Being truly honest with himself, some of what he'd done sickened him. As if he was turning into something far worse than what he sought to destroy.

It takes a monster to kill a monster.

Those words weren't foreign to Kurapika. In fact, as September had crept closer upon him, and with that along with the Spiders, he'd thought more about that simple phrase than he'd ever had before. Were those words true, even if they were, what did they mean? Was it bad? Was being a monster truly bad if it was for the greater good? Was he a monster at all?

Philosophy was a fickle thing, with no right answer. The answer would always be within himself, the hardest place to look.

If he was...

But no, that was impossible. The Spiders were the monsters. His actions were simply rightful revenge that would have been bestowed upon them for their crimes either way. Yes, he had a larger, more important task at hand. He could set his troubled feelings aside, for them. In the end, always for them.

The Kurta Massacre. Everybody he'd ever known and loved... Kurapika clenched his fists, skin turning pink, then red, then white from strain. He couldn't go through that again. No one should have to go through what he had. This was right.

_He was right._

They arrived at the designated area, the barrenness of the rock barely catching and enhancing the specks of moonlight. It was time for the exchange.

He, Senritsu, and the Spider stepped out onto the rock. Despite his protests, Kurapika ordered Zepile to stay behind on the airship. This was a private matter, and he couldn't risk anyone more than he would be forced to, at least for the side of his allies. On the other side, he saw Gon, Killua, Rein, and Machi step out the airship before helping a limping Leorio out as well.

He had to get his friends back safe and sound, no matter the cost.

Kurapika took a brief moment to wonder what the circumstances were like in the other airship before reaching into his pocket to make the phone call for the first step of the exchange.

* * *

"What?" Lucky cried, shocked. He thought he would get his freedom, but he was met with this? Everyone had the option to leave the airship for an event _specifically_ for releasing captives and he was the only one not permitted to leave? "Why the heck not?!"

Pinky's eyes bore into his, intense and unyielding. "You. Stay. Here."

"But-"

The door slid shut with a loud bang, sealing off any argument he had to make.

"No..." Lucky lowered himself to his knees. "Oh, come on! Open the door!" he shouted at a very much not open door that was unlikely to open anytime soon. Why could nothing go his way? Why could nothing go right around him?

"What trouble," Crop Top tittered, mocking his misfortune as he casually shuffled his cards with an expert hand. A look entered his curved, golden eyes as he grinned, sending an uneasy shiver down Lucky's spine. "Don't worry," he purred, delighted. "You're with me."

After an emotionless pause, Lucky turned around started to bang on the door in a desperation he wasn't sure came from a lack of caffeine, sleep, or sense of safety. " _Please_ open up, I'm _begging_ you—"

On the outside of the airship, Machi ignored the muffled noises as she turned to face the chain user all the way on the other side of the plateau. She held herself defiantly, needing every point she could employ.

"Uh..." the boy in green spoke up. He pointed to what she assumed was Lucky behind the clouded glass. "Is he going to be okay?"

"He'll be fine," answered Machi, tone more bitter than she'd intended it to be. No matter. She had a far more important task at hand.

Her phone buzzed in her pocket, silent but vibrating. Quickly yet steadily, she picked up. "Yes?"

_"Give the phone to the one with the white hair."_

She did, and he gave it back soon after pressing it to his heart. "Shall we start the exchange?" asked Machi.

_"Walk towards the middle of the plateau with the injured. I will meet you there."_

Aiding the man to his feet, she did as the chain user ordered, attempting to speed up her steps as much as she could without appearing desperate. Trying not to overthink the situation as she normally did. She would walk. The exchange would take place. They could leave, all safe, intact, and together. Machi thought these things over and over in her head until she came to a stop, eye to eye with the chain user. They both stared coldly at the other in the tense night air, not daring to let up for even a moment.

A breath rattled next to her, reminding her of the injured. He set his knees on the ground with a hand to his side, fighting through the pain.

"You will heal him."

Machi's stiff lips set in their place, acknowledging the order. The clinking chains boomed in the chill silence that followed.

"You will heal him completely, devoid of any tricks. When you return, you will not let the others know of the portion of my abilities you will have witnessed." His gaze hardened. It was hard to believe he came from the same place as Rein. "Do you accept these conditions?"

"After I heal him, will the exchange take place as promised?" she clarified.

A hurried blink. No doubt this topic meant as much to him as it did to her, perhaps even more. The chain user pulled back his shoulders, blond wisps of hair shifting to reveal an earring fitted with a red gemstone. The same light of that earring flickered in his forward look for a split second as he answered. "Of course."

She raised her chin. "Then I accept the conditions."

A sudden dryness parched her throat as he whipped a small blade in the air, poised and ready. Machi was not nervous. It wasn't in her nature. But seeing the sharp point of the chain put her on edge, and she had to fight the instinctual urge to protect herself. But why did her heart pound at the sight of the blade? It was so little. It would not hurt her as long as she followed his restrictions. She would be fine.

Still, it was difficult to swallow.

As soon as his fingers started to flick forward, Rein jumped in front of her, spreading out her arms in an objective motion. "Don't."

Rein knew standing between the Chain User and Machi meant essentially nothing. She was but a minor obstacle to the chain and the blade at its tip, and the Chain User could easily skirt around her. But she still stood. "Don't," Rein repeated. "She'll heal Leorio fully. Right, Machi?"

"Y-yes."

"She said so. She'll heal him," Rein looked him in the eye, "I promise."

The Chain User's foot shifted back, eyes wide and brows drawn deeply together. As if he was trying to convince himself of something, something he remembered. He peered at her curiously. "...Aira?"

Rein blinked, but didn't allow the slight shock from his words to cause her to lower her arms. Instead, she held them firmer than ever, determined to at least attemptto protect Machi. "What?"

"You're Aira, aren't you," he breathed, rushing. It made sense now. That lock of hair that always stood up, her bounciness, and saying something she had no idea what was going to happen with such conviction... true, the stammering from before was a bit off, and so was her backstory that she'd informed them of. Perhaps she'd actually been in the clan and wanted to hide her trauma? Or maybe only related to Aira by blood? Maybe she'd forgotten.

Maybe she'd lied.

His face hardened, and so did his tone. No matter what she'd said, she was still in the way. "Move. I have business—"

"No." She sounded like a five year old.

"Aira," Kurapika didn't notice how he referred to her until the name left his mouth. "Rein," he corrected himself, "I must place a chain on her heart. Step aside."

"Nnnn...no," she repeated, hanging on the 'n'. A stubborn five year old indeed.

He lowered his arm. "Tell me why. They've done nothing but hurt you. Trying to help them now, no matter how chivalrous that is, won't be of any significance. My chain can easily pierce her, even if you try to stop me. Remember your mother? You wanted to avenge her."

Did the Chain User still believe that lie? Rein squinted slightly. "You," she hesitated, "still think I'm on your side."

His expression jolted at the realization. He didn't have to say it aloud for the question to echo through the night: _you're not?_

"B-But..." Why did his words falter? He was always so eloquent, words flowing with meaning and depth. Now, he couldn't summon them up. "But they killed your family."

"Kurapika," she couldn't believe she was calling him by name now, of all times, "that was a lie. Okay? I lied. I've been with the Troupe for as long as I can remember, and I've been fine. I _am_ fine."

"No, you don't know." She didn't. She didn't understand. "You're Kurta. I saw your eyes the day I killed the Spider. Years ago, the Phantom Troupe attacked the Kurta for their rare eyes and slaughtered everyone there. Genocide. Ai... Rein, they _did_ kill your family. It happened. Your brother... Everyone—"

"I _do_ know," Rein interrupted, snapping. "I've known ever since yesterday, because Gon told me what happened." She was still angry, but she forced herself to say to next words. For Machi. "Look, I _get_ it." Her tone was still aggressive, and she struggled to lower it. "You're angry because you lost someone. You're trying to get revenge. I _get_ that. I don't blame you for _that._ If you were targeting anybody else, I'd probably be fine with it. But you're hurting _my_ family, and that's not—"

"Family?" he cut in. "What part of the Phantom Troupe is? They're heartless murderers that—"

"Uvo had a heart!" Tears pricked her eyes, and she felt them burn. Luckily, only a few spilled, and she could continue on. "He had a heart. A really, really, _really_ big heart, and he loved a lot of things, and a lot of people. He loved us and Nobu and baseball and himself and cheap beer and...! He had a heart and you don't get to say—"

"I think I do," he hissed. "If any of them had a shred of the heart a decent person would, my family wouldn't be dead. My mother would be humming and my father would be hugging her, and Pairo would be smiling at me and pulling me out of stupid trouble I got into myself and he'd be paying the price. They could have spared them, even the ones without the Scarlet Eyes, but they didn't. They deserve this—"

"Shut up."

He looked her in the eye. Looked Aira in the eye, but not Rein. "You'd still be climbing trees and convincing yourself you weren't going to fall."

"I don't care. Look, I don't remember, and I don't care about any of—"

"So you side with murderous trash—"

"Uvo is _not trash—"_

They shouted at each other, raising their voice above the other and interrupting them, over and over again. Both shed tears that went ignored, and the Kurta flame they shared sparked in their eyes as they clashed.

All went quiet as Leorio let out a soft groan and fully crumpled to the ground.

They froze.

"Machi," Rein whispered.

Not needing anymore explanation, she called up a glowing blue thread. She looked to the chain user for permission.

He moved forward with the blade, but Rein turned her head to him, all that was needed to make him hesitate. "She'll heal Leorio, properly. I promise."

Kurapika let it happen.

Leorio sat up, marveling at the wound that was no more. "So this is what Nen can do," he said, astonished. He thanked Machi who responded with a nod before raising his eyes to both Rein and Kurapika. He gave a grin, somehow softer than either had ever seen before. It was calming. "Thank you too."

Kurapika took the healed Leorio back to his airship, and Rein left with Machi for theirs. He soon called. "We will now begin the second part of the exchange."

He withdrew Chain Jail from the leader of the Spiders, and sent him on his way. Slowly but surely, Gon and Killua were approaching from the other side as well. They drew closer, and Gon gave an eager wave while Killua tilted his chin upwards in greeting.

Before he knew it, Leorio ran toward the two and embraced them. Zepile also finally managed to open the airship door and rushed past Kurapika to the boys, nearly sending them tumbling with the force of his tackle-like hug. Senritsu, her leg now mostly healed with a healthy sheen to her unbruised skin, stepped forward as well, raising her short arms around them as much as she could. Zepile soon scooped her up, pulling her fully into their group hug.

Kurapika observed for a few moments before his foot moved forward all on its own.

With a soft smile on his face, he walked toward them. Trotted toward them. Then in a delightful dash, he _ran_ , actually sending the group to the ground with his momentum.

They lay on the ground in varying degrees of pain, giggling, arms weak, clutching their sides. Kurapika laughed along as well, unable to stop. His sides quivered and his middle hurt as he gasped for air. He lay in the dirt, dusty, laughing. And, for the first time in what felt like forever...

...happy.

* * *

Pakunoda sat silently at the base, staring at the gun that had gotten her through her many years with the Troupe. So many years. Her thoughts drifted to that boy, the one with the spiky hair and no sense of fear.

_You really can't understand the desire to save a friend?!_

He'd been wonderfully right at the time, when he'd yelled at Phinks. Painfully so.

As she sat with her back stiff, a scrawny cat appeared, hissing at her before letting up and scrutinizing her with a golden eye.

The cat from before, the one that had interfered with Lucky's water divination test.

The cat, once white but now grey with dust, sauntered out of the room with its tail in the air, as if ordering her to follow.

She did. The cat led her to another room on the same floor, one empty that hadn't been taken over by one of the Troupe members. Behind a cement block, worn smooth at the edges and propped up against the wall in a lean-to fashion, was another cat, surrounded by many littler copies of it, all with the same white coat. A mother, with her kittens. The scrawny cat licked its leg nearby before sauntering over to the mother, rubbing his head against hers lovingly as they purred.

A family.

...Family?

A kitten mewed at her, misty brown eyes squinting.

Smiling, she meowed right back.

With a final wave to the cats, she returned to her room, feet unusually heavy, thoughts muddled. Her eye caught on her weapon, and she reached for the cloth that had polished it spotless so many times. She rubbed and rubbed, and when she was done, the metal shone, glowing even in the dim lighting. Somehow, it seemed brighter than it ever had been. With a meaningless sigh, she allowed some of the stiffness in her figure to go away, slouching and relaxing muscles that had been under strain for ages. How long had it been since she'd been able to simply exist, without the expectations of everyone around her? She lay, resting for a few minutes before sitting up, stiff once more.

Stiff for just a little while longer. She could bear it.

She loaded in six new bullets, each soft click resonating through the room. Her gun had never failed her before, it wouldn't fail her now.

Pakunoda was ready.


	29. Not Like This

Machi and Rein stepped onto the airship, and Hisoka stepped out, trying to catch the woman's gaze in a coy manner that didn't match his nature at all. She ignored the advances with a firm slam of the door, successfully separating herself and Rein from the likes of him. Of course—her gaze now landed on Lucky, sitting on the seat closest to the door—that left them alone with _him_ instead.

Machi trusted Lucky had no ill intent. He just didn't seem like that kind of person, to mess around with or take advantage of anybody. If anything, he was more on the meek side in terms of dealing with people. It was just his aura was so destructive, with the suffocation and the crumbling buildings. She'd tried to convince Hisoka to leave him behind at Lingon, but he insisted, saying he would kill the captives and Rein if she refused to comply with his request. Thus, Lucky made his way onto the ship, much to her dismay.

So much could go wrong with him there. This was complicated machinery; if any one gear malfunctioned, it could instantly result in their doom. They were fortunate nothing had caught fire or spontaneously combusted on the way to the exchange.

Needless to say, she guided Rein to the seat that was as far away from him as possible. Though he tried to mask it, a brief shadow of hurt feelings showed on his face before he waved it away. Machi ignored it.

"So, Pinky," Lucky looked to Rein as well, and suddenly appeared perplexed. "Uh." He cleared his throat. "Red," he greeted.

Rein rubbed at her eyes, trying to rub away the scarlet.

Machi looked at her. Over the shouting and the realization that the chain user recognized Rein, she hadn't fully been able to pay attention, especially with the injured at her side. When had Rein started to cry? "Did you get," she didn't mention the tears specifically, "those when you were yelling?"

"The Chain User called him trash," Rein said, quiet. "He _said_ that."

Machi nodded, and looked out the window. "Uvo wasn't the nicest person in the Troupe, and he definitely had his flaws." She paused for a moment. "But he wasn't a bad guy."

Even without turning her head to him, Machi could tell Lucky was observing them and listening in on the conversation, trying to piece things together. "So?" she said.

He jolted.

Her gaze tore directly through him. "You spoke to us, though with the wrong names. Did you have a question?"

"Uh," he said, recovering from being so suddenly called out. "How did the exchange go? You know, the one I wasn't invited to?" His expression deadened for a moment before it returned to normal. "What happened?"

Rein waved Lucky over to their window, unaware of the chaos he could cause. She pointed out Chrollo. "That's the leader of the Spiders."

"Danchou?"

Rein seemed surprised at the correct title he'd placed. "Yeah..."

She proceeded to explain the conditions the chain user had placed on his heart, how he wouldn't be able to interact with another one of the Troupe until he had gotten the Nen restriction removed. Hisoka was a traitor and not a real Spider, therefore Chrollo could interact with him. Hisoka was there for a fight, but wouldn't be able to get as he pleased. How tragic.

Lucky, still very confused, nodded along and pretended to understand. All this talk about Nen and using the real names of people instead of the nicknames he'd given them... his head was whirling trying to figure it all out.

Hisoka entered the airship, face strangely downcast. "Head back to the airport," he said offhandedly, sitting down and pulling out his phone. "I have no interest in broken toys."

Machi's fists tightened. "So Danchou's just a toy to you?"

Hisoka brought himself out of his self-pity to send her a flirty smile in affirmation.

Rein burned. "Traitor."

"Who, me?" He placed a finger in his chin in mock thought, sharp nail pressing into skin as it ran down his jaw. "How peculiar. The same could be said for you." Seeing this bothered her, he went on. "Imagine how Gon and Killua must have felt, with you turning their lives over to us. And Leorio, who you tried to kill, no less. I was never a Spider in the first place, so it can't really be said that I am a traitor. I never _hurt_ anyone, did I? Whereas you—"

"Hisoka." Machi's tone was icy. "Shut up or I'll kill you."

Their gazes met, clashing with an intensity that Hisoka seemed to be drinking in.

Lucky stood and backed up toward the pilot's cabin. "I'm just going to tell the pilot that we should be heading back," he tried, awkward. The air in the room made him fidget. "I'll just go."

A few moments later, the rumbling hum of the engine starting vibrated the room. Hisoka broke eye contact with a smirk before pulling out his cards and fingering a four of hearts, trying to catch her eye again.

Machi kept her gaze _very_ far away from him. If one could burst with hate, Machi believed she was about to. Her chest rose with fury as she went over every single thing Hisoka had done against the Spider all for his selfish wants and pleasures. He'd worked with the chain user, their enemy who killed Uvo. Nothing about avenging the limb lost, or even the preservation of the group. No, he wanted to fight, and as soon as he couldn't, he'd tried to guilt Rein over something he'd done. He did that often, blaming others for his own actions and manipulating them into thinking he was right. It was why years ago, their eighth member...

As of now, Machi was very content with Hisoka not getting as he wished.

A few minutes after they'd taken off toward the airport, Lucky burst in from the flying cabin, earning surprised looks from both Machi and Rein while Hisoka only appeared amused. Lucky held up a finger as he paused for breath. "Guys, don't panic but I may or may not have knocked the pilot unconscious."

All their eyes, including Hisoka's, went a twitch wider with alarm as realization dawned on them.

The ship, already flying high in the air, started to tip.

* * *

Lucky considered himself rather well at dealing with unforeseen circumstance. As proof of this, Lucky still walked the earth with all his limbs intact. He could usually figure something out in a short amount of time to keep both himself and the others around him from dying. He was actually proud of the fact that he was able keep the irreversible from happening.

But Pinky was truly something else.

She'd burst into the cabin and shoved the pilot out of the chair, quickly taking control of the airship again. Pinky, who he'd only ever seen as cool and detached, screamed at him to sit down and not touch _anything,_ then commanded the girl around to push this button and secure that lever, and drag the pilot into the main cabin and place him on a seat.

Somehow, they'd managed to make it back to Lingon, even if she did crash the airship on the runway. They made it out as fast as they could, Crop Top disappearing the moment their eyes left him. Looking at the sudden fire that had sprung up, she'd shrugged, and commented that flying an airship and landing one were two very different things.

With the look she gave him though, it was evident she blamed Lucky for everything that had gone wrong.

He didn't disagree.

As they'd left the pilot a safe distance away on the grass and departed, Lucky willingly walked back to the Phantom Troupe's base with the other two. There was no point in putting up a fight. They would only track him down again.

"So," Lucky said, looking at the girl. He just had to ask. "Who's Uvo, that you were talking about on the ship?" He felt Pinky glaring at him.

She balked at the sudden question. Slowly, he saw her hand press against her own heart, gripping and twisting the shirt above it as her knuckles shook. Her look was darkened, and though it was hard to see in the night, he could tell she was trying to hide it best she could.

"You okay?" he asked.

She blinked quickly in place of nodding. "He was one of us."

He bent down, questioning. "Did he... Is he...?"

"Yes," she answered with her voice curt and tight, and sped up her pace so her face wouldn't be within his line of sight. This did not go as planned, seeing as her short eleven-year-old legs took very short strides in comparison to the strides his tall lanky figure took.

A hand stopped him short, and the girl was able to keep walking ahead. "Two days ago." the woman's grip tightened. "It was two days ago. Don't bring it up."

Lucky nodded numbly, and they walked on. Only two days? He'd only seen the girl with tears once, and even then, they were confined to her burning red eyes. Even now, it was all pulled back.

As they approached closer to base, his senses became hyper-sensitive. The night was dark, but the clouds in the sky were a smoky gray, the moon blindingly bright. During the day, the base had smelled like dust, but now, it smelled like a knife; cold, sharp. It felt so strange, and he felt so little in the open air, and the darkness itself sent tingles across his skin. The taste... he felt foolish, but the night tasted like berries, dark, juicy, boysenberries. And the sound—

As soon as they heard gunshots, Machi took their wrists and sprinted faster than she ever had before.

* * *

There are a lot of things in the world one can regret.

Pakunoda also had her fair share of such. In the past, she'd made mistakes. Some of which hurt others, others she _knew_. At the time, she'd thought she was doing the right thing, when in reality her feelings were only getting in the way. Her emotions got in the way of serving the Spider. She tried to never make those mistakes again, but doubts still filled her mind. Was letting Machi go alone with the captives and Rein truly for the Spider, or were her feelings interfering again? She wasn't sure whether that choice had been right. She'd always been one to overthink, over-analyze, to perceive things differently whether that be for the bad or good. She'd always questioned herself.

But now, as Pakunoda stood with her gun cocked, she knew, without a doubt in her heart: This was the right decision.

Quick pulls on the trigger made her gun burn. This had been the right decision.

She was ready, she _was._ Her heart twisted and convulsed, strangled as she started to fall back to the ground. It hurt, hurt a lot. But that was okay. _She was ready for it all—_

"Paku!"

She caught sight of Rein's outstretched hand, and the horror-stricken face from beyond that as her head tilted back. _Wait_ —

* * *

Just like last time, she couldn't look away.

"Pa..." Stars, moving her lips hurt. "Paku."

Rein always tried to step away from seemingly dead bodies if she could. Now? Her legs moved on their own, surprisingly strong and steady for the pit churning in her stomach. Just because she looked... just because... it didn't mean... she _can't_ have been the same as Uvo. There was no blood, no bruises, no nothing. Rein crouched down at her side, observing before slowly reaching up to her neck to check for a pulse.

She was Paku, nothing more. The same hooked nose and light makeup, the same pale and silky hair that Rein had always admired, the same calloused hands from repeatedly polishing her pistol. She wasn't like Uvo, whom Rein could barely recognize after his beating. No blood. No bruises. No broken soul. No, she was fine...

Her fingers landed on Paku's warm skin, their first contact since the chain had been placed on Rein's heart. First contact, and Rein was still alive, which meant Paku's Hatsu was not active. Which meant... no. Rein shook her head clear. Don't think.

Her hand on the woman's neck, Rein waited. And waited. She stood by for a pulse, but none came. Underneath her fingertips, she could feel the heat leave Paku, her skin cooling and cooling. Colder and colder. "No." Her steady hand finally shook before stabling once. _Don't think._ Then her entire body shook, and she couldn't get it to still no matter how hard she tried. She tried, she did. But her body just shook. _Don't think._ But she shook and shook and shook and—Rein's heart rattled in her chest so suddenly she flinched. Chains? She waited for the chains to rattle and constrict. She held her breath, but she remained alive. Right. She was alive. Rein was alive.

But...

No, don't think!

But the evidence was there.

Shakily, she pressed a palm to Paku's chest. A slight concave. A very still dent where her heart was. (Was it just her imagination?) Where it should have been... it was still. So still. And getting colder and colder. She lowered her head.

She'd wanted to hug Pakunoda before, just get a single touch of her surprisingly comforting self. Just a touch... but not like this. _Not_ like _this._

The room was eerily quiet, which made her cries seem all the more deafening.

* * *

They all cringed, whether they showed it or not. Some grit their teeth, others shut their eyes. But all of them remained, holding firm their ground. They didn't leave, no matter how loud the girl cried. This wasn't to say that no one else wasn't affected. After they experienced Pakunoda's memory bomb, they stood there, not quite knowing how to react.

It was by no means their first experience with death. Most had seen a comrade die before their very eyes. But somehow, this was different. It had been a long time, and here someone was, actually in painful mourning that they had to witness.

It... it kind of hurt.

Shizuku was the first to move. She reached toward Paku's neck for confirmation, and Rein made no move to stop her. "She's dead," she announced, pulling back her hand.

Phinks took a step forward at her utterly stupid bluntness, about to give Shizuku a piece of his mind and maybe a taste of his fist. But as she turned around, Phinks stopped short.

The hand she'd used to feel for Paku's pulse was balled up tightly against her chest. Her wide eyes that seemed even wider behind her glasses were a bit glassier than normal, and as her eyes moved the reflecting light swam in them. Her figure, as drawn into herself as the straightforward, brutally honest, indifferent Shizuku could get.

"Hey, Shizuku," Phinks said. She wasn't crying, not like Rein. But with the magnification through her glasses, it was obvious her eyes were clouded over.

"She's dead," Shizuku repeated, and clutched her hand closer to her chest. "I... I didn't want Paku to die." Her expression, usually so devoid, was dark. "I don't like this. I don't _like_ this."

Phinks' throat was dry when he tried to answer. "Yeah. None of us do."

Rein cried, loudly. Everything she'd bottled up and held in in front of Gon, Killua, Leorio, and most of all the Chain User, it all came spilling out in a rapid succession, piling on top of the others and growing. Her tears fell on Paku's skin, but the latter didn't move to brush them away and tell her all would be alright, that Rein would pull through. Paku just lay there, still.

She cried, because that was _Paku_ on the ground, _Paku._ Because no matter how much she could convince Machi to try, nothing would change. She could try and slice open her chest, she could try and fix her heart, she could even try to give it a pulse, but Machi couldn't do that. None of them could do anything. Rein hadn't even been there.

Stars, she didn't know what her last words or thought had been, she didn't know, and she wished she had. Maybe if she'd just run, maybe if she'd just walked a _little_ bit faster, they would've been here on time. Maybe if Rein had actually stopped to think things through, or maybe questioned the Chain User, she could've known something. Something to help. If all she'd done was try, it would all be different. She should've tried. It would all be so different, but she _hadn't_ tried, and things _weren't_ different, and—

—Stars.

Rein's eyes were transfixed on the open dome, the stained glass against the night sky. The stars were so pretty. The stars.

Paku's lids were slightly open, droopy eyes facing toward the stars above. Rein lifted her hand again to close the slivers that had been left open, but she paused before reconsidering and slumping to her knees. She wouldn't take away her last sight. Rein went silent for a few moments, and looked up again.

She and Paku stared at the stars together.

They were beautiful, weren't they?

After the brief silence, Rein lowered her head once more, crying tears that didn't seem to stop. Her heart hurt so much she almost thought she'd done something to make the chains act. But it didn't feel like a blade. It just ached. It crawled up her throat and nose and eyes and even her ears and... stars, why?

All the Spiders stood, frozen as if they were the ones who couldn't move. All, except for one.

Feitan tilted his head away from the sight.

Back during the attack on the Kurta Clan, Feitan thought tears... The Scarlet Eyes, considered one of the elitist colors in the world, shone brighter, bigger, better with tears. Emotion activated the red hue and pain enhanced it. It had been a fact back then and it still was now, that Scarlet Eyes in mourning and suffering were beautiful.

But on Rein, they just looked ugly.


	30. Orchid Purple

That day and some of the next consisted of trying to make her feel better, or at the very least, just to venture out of her room and take her mind off the subject. They all failed, but they tried. Lucky could see none of the ones who made an effort had actually ever done the likes of this before.

Even if they had, they sucked.

Everything they said only served to make Red draw more into the shell that hadn't been there before. Still, the Phantom Troupe tried, which was more than he'd expected to come from criminals. He supposed even they were still human at their core.

The blonde with muscles and a surprising lack of eyebrows came with a tray of food, trying to get her to eat. He teased her relentlessly to get her to move from her spot, mocking her height, hair... but he hadn't gotten a response.

Pinky sat beside her in silence for a while, and left as soon as she'd come, not knowing what to say or do.

Devil pushed past his own wobbly smile and tried to strike up a normal conversation, which quickly turned into a desperate, one-sided speech.

A short man with only one visible eyeball entered with a sack and dumped it to the ground, spilling all kinds of pebbles, rocks, and minerals to the ground. "See? This one looks like your lucky rock, doesn't it?" "What about this one? It has some aura, like your rock." "Or this? It has some quartz mixed in, just like your other one—" He too, had gotten no positive response. He'd left the rocks with her, grouping them within arm's distance before departing.

Emo Loser took the effort to walk in and told her to stop crying because she looked "pathetic", a tactic which obviously backfired. After this last terrible attempt, they stopped. They just let her be, not knowing how to deal with the situation at hand and leaving her alone.

With a curt nod to himself, Lucky wandered off into the building. Everyone dealt with loss differently, and everyone comforted others in different ways. But if none of the Troupe's methods were working, it was time for his turn. He had to try. Red needed some alone time, but she couldn't be by herself forever. Though it felt nice, it wouldn't help. She'd bottled up the intensest of her feelings, and was struggling to deal with them as they were frantically trying to come spilling out now in a rapid whirlpool. Red needed support, and as much as the Phantom Troupe members seemed to try, their attempts weren't going to cut it, not at this rate.

Lucky knew who he had to go see.

* * *

"Pinky!" Lucky knocked on the door frame. Or rather, he tried to, because his knuckles missed and he ended up stumbling into the room uninvited, earning him a cold glare that only Machi could give. He laughed sheepishly before rapidly pushing out a small "sorry".

Her eyebrow twitched, displeased at the intrusion. First messing with their Ten, then the incident on the airship, now just being a bumbling fool. Couldn't he do anything right? "What?"

"I... right." He straightened himself as much as he could, taking care not to hit his head on the lower part of the slanted concrete ceiling. He verbally cursed his height.

"Yes?" she prodded, tone dull. "Did you want anything?"

"Pinky. I... I need a favor. Do you have any spare threads I can use?" He paused to think. "Preferably thicker strands, maybe embroidering thread thickness. That aren't Nen and won't kill anyone or slice them up if they touch them. And are in color..." He nodded as he spoke, obviously making up all these requests on the fly. "Yeah. Lots of colors."

Her eyes narrowed, doubtful. "For what?"

* * *

Lucky strolled into the room casually and plopped down a ways away from the girl, dumping an explosive rainbow of different colored threads on the ground next to him. Leaning against the wall, he cast a sideways glance towards her. "Hey, Red."

Rein didn't look up.

Lucky exhaled, looking up the the ceiling. Ever so slowly, he slid over her way, inching and inching, then stopping to see if she noticed or cared. Than inched and inched some more, until finally, he was at a reasonable distance, enough for one other person to fit snugly in between them. Reaching over, he slid the strings closer as well.

He stared at the girl intently, and whenever her head shifted, snapped his gaze away as if being caught. He hoped his over-dramatic-ness would help the sorrow ease up.

After several minutes of this, Rein finally spoke. "What..." Her voice was creaky, like the aged hinges of a dungeon door. She cleared her throat. "...what do you want?"

Lucky shrugged. Rein looked up and he met her eyes and... Lucky sucked in a breath.

True to the nickname he'd given her, Red was... red. Her bottom lip was wet and raw from repeated biting, and her eyes, though duller, were a drowning scarlet. But her expressions were numb, her reactions suppressed as if she was only a walking doll.

"I... I have string." He supposed that was obvious. Lucky slid an idle finger over one of the many bracelets on his wrist. He showed them to her. "Do you know how to weave a friendship bracelet?"

Rein shook her head no.

"It's pretty simple." Indeed it was, if you remembered the proper steps. Of course, there were different weaving methods and Lucky had only memorized about five of them, but the first steps were clear and same for all. He rubbed a thumb over the crisscrossed threads. A sad smile.

"Well first, you think of the person. What their hair color was, what they liked, what they wore, where they lived, their traits, their eye color, their hobbies, anything, really." He noticed how her breathing suddenly hitched. This was cruel. But he'd seen how she attempted to cope, and bottling all her feelings and throwing them away wouldn't help her. They would only spring up stronger later, he knew. This method he'd brought up with the weaving had worked for him, and he hoped it would work for Red too. "Everything has a color. Likes, dislikes, personality, emotions, everything," he said, starting to tackle the mess of strings in an attempt to sort them out in rainbow order. "Just think about it for a while."

They sat, and Lucky somehow managed to untangle all the green strings from the pile. He started to move onto the purples. Rein just blinked, staring at an empty spot on the wall.

Time passed.

"She liked carnations," she said, so quietly that Lucky wasn't sure whether it was just a pigment of his imagination or not. But she went on. "Those white ones, with the blue tips. That..." Rein drew in a shaky breath. "...that you get from the little flower shop at the end of the street. And there's a pebble road and the flowers smell so sweet and... _stars_ , you hold them in your arms—" A hiccup caught in her throat, but she continued. "And she buys them for you but steals her own little flower for tucking behind her ear because stars, that's what you do, right? When you're a thief? You- you steal. It was such a small thing, but Paku stole it from the flower shop anyway and-and...she was. She... she _was_! It—" Rein wiped her eyes repeatedly, never ending. She pressed the heels of her palms to her eyes, trembling. "It was such a small, little thing. She stole...It was such... such a small thing...but..."

"She was happy," Lucky finished for her, hands clasped together. He dug his fingernails into his own skin to keep his hands from shaking before his eye caught on two colors and he started to untangle them.

She nodded, throat constricting.

Lucky selected two colors. "Like these?" he asked, handing them to her. Two strings: vivid Royal blue, Navajo white.

"Y-" Her voice cracked. "-yeah." She clutched the strings so hard her knuckles paled.

"Don't tell me you're planning on making a bracelet with just those two colors!" Lucky joked. "Come on. Pick out some others."

"Her... shoes. Ballet flats."

Lucky remembered the color. He'd seen it when he was first held under questioning. He untangled a string and handed it to Rein. "Dusty china pink."

"Her gun? She polished it every single day, and it shone, even when it was dark."

Another string. "Battleship grey."

"Her eyes—" Her own went wide and she froze once more. "I..." She bit her lip. Stars, she'd seen them up close! She hadn't closed them. They'd stared at the stars, but why? "I... I can't remember."

Watching her suffer was like experiencing a memory of his past all over again. He'd lost many close to him, and the old lump in his throat returned, not nearly as painful but aching nonetheless. Except this time, it hurt for someone else. "You don't have to remember," he stated, wishing someone had told him the same so long ago. "It's okay if you don't remember her eyes. Only the parts of them that have some meaning to you. Maybe you can tell me about her and I can give you her color?" he suggested. She didn't answer. "Come on. How about it, Red?"

A sniffle. "My name isn't... it's Rein. Like the things you use on a horse?"

He grinned gently. He briefly wanted to make a snarky remark about how he would never call anyone by their legal name but for now, he supposed that comment could wait. "I'm Lucky."

And so Rein began to talk. How Paku preferred warm weather but her favorite season was autumn because of the leaves. When not with the Troupe, she also stole little things if she wanted to. Little, small, but pretty things, like the flower, as a hobby. She liked flowers, but wasn't a fan of gardening. How one time, she had a calico cat that came and went, and helped in taking care of the little kittens that showed up months later. She was most comfortable when polishing her gun. She liked lemon herb tea, and the smell of lavender. Sometimes at night, she would stop walking just to look up, and somehow always managed to locate and name the constellations.

Rein went on and on. Between each sentence was a suppressed sob, but she held firm, continuing.

Lucky waited patiently, nodding after every memory to let her know that he was paying attention. He was there.

They sat in silence after she finished, and Lucky picked out a color.

One quick burst of a sigh. Not content, but getting there. "Lavender?"

"Orchid purple, actually," he corrected. As soon as the words slipped, he wished he'd held his tongue. Thankfully though, Rein didn't seem to mind.

She took the strands in her fingers, and rubbed it across the edge of her thumb. "Orchid purple," she repeated. A light purple. That was all it was. So little. But... "It's," her voice became strained, "Paku."

He bobbed his head, nodding. The tears weren't coming, but the red in her irises seemed to shine brighter before she lowered her head to her knees once more, calming. This was progress. Emotionally hurtful progress, he knew, but progress nonetheless. She wasn't suppressing anything anymore. "Well, you've chosen your colors," he raised his voice. He held up a fist, showing her the threads in his own hand, of the same colors that Rein had chosen. "And I have mine. Now normally, we'd get some tape or something, but since we don't have that, we can just tie all the strings together into a knot at the top. Like this, see?"

She finally lifted her head to look but didn't meet his eyes, instead staring intently at the strings in his hand. She copied the knot quickly, and nodded for him to continue.

Lucky went on, rambling about how this string went here, while that string went there, and no, no, _that_ string, and the Orchid purple went before the grey, not the other way around—

Only halfway through, and Lucky's bracelet was woven expertly, while Rein's just looked like a tangled mess, twisted together into a sad excuse for weaving.

It was such a small little thing. But that was Paku, and she'd messed up the bracelet, and—Rein's fingers instinctively reached for her pocket before stopping mid air. Right, her rock wasn't there. _Stars_ , it wasn't there. It was such a small thing, hardly anything to make a big deal out of. She had the rocks Kortopi dropped off, right? Couldn't she just hold one of those, even if it wasn't the same rock? Such a small, small thing... she felt terrible when this little thing was what drove her to tears. It wasn't a big deal. It was such a small, little thing, but it was all wrong and—

"It's terrible," she whispered, and started to cry. Why did she have to do this every single time? 

"Hey, Red. It's alright, your bracelet doesn't look _that_ bad," Lucky tried to reason in an attempt to calm her down.

"But the bracelet, the _bracelet_..."

Lucky fell silent as her cries grew louder. No matter how many times she said it, he knew that her mess-up wasn't the reason she was crying. Sure, it had been the straw that broke the camel's back, but it wasn't the true reason.

Maybe she should take a break. "Hey, you want to know how my first bracelet weaving went?" Lucky asked the girl.

A waiting sniffle.

Lucky went on, trying to remember every little detail. He made himself laugh at the memory, and he could see Rein was paying attention. He continued, trying to copy every single moment of that incident with the most dramatic flair he could muster, waving his arms in the air for extra effect, and mimicking explosions with his lips.

In the middle of his sentence, Rein made a noise. A snort, a shaky sob, an amused grunt, and a wet and gargled hiss welded together for an abomination of a reaction. Scarlet rimmed her eyes as she lowered her head and quieted, obviously remembering something.

"Hey, don't tell me that's happened to you too."

Her shoulders shook, and just when he thought she would either burst into another set of tears or start to laugh—admittedly the former was much more possible considering the timing, but the latter was more possible considering his story—he braced himself for whatever reaction would come. She was still in mourning. It hadn't even been a day since the death, and from what he'd heard, another loved one of hers had also died pretty recently. He prepared to comfort and be there, or prepared to laugh along. More the first, if anything.

So when she blew a raspberry, Lucky blanked; straight-up could not function for the next few still moments. He paused as he was dragged out of his daze. Could it be? Lucky blew a raspberry, experimenting.

Sending him a questioning look as if she hadn't even understood what she'd done herself, Rein sent a weak one back.

Locking eyes, he blew another, just a bit louder than he had before.

Without thinking, she blew another raspberry, louder and stronger than his last one had been.

Lucky threw her a small grin before he blew another one, louder than _her_ last. Challenging her to a contest with a glint in his eye.

It was like a rubber band snapped inside of her. Her lips slowly parted, and cheeks wrinkling with stiff dried tears, Rein found herself cracking a smile. A small smile. She looked to the challenge offered. She...

...she couldn't lose now, could she?

* * *

Machi listened to it all.

Leaning against the wall and hidden from their sight, she could hear them being ridiculous. Not laughing, not completely happy, but a step closer. A step none of the other Spiders had been able to take with the girl.

Machi had to admit, she had been hesitant to let Lucky near Rein. After all, how many times had they gotten in trouble in his presence? His aura was unpredictable, and the opposite of ideal. Unsafe. But, like Danchou had informed her, his aura switched in between destruction and being hardly noticeable. It seemed his aura had died down at just the right time.

When she'd heard his idea, Machi thought him stupid. None of them knew quite how to deal with a mourning child, and the only one who had a vague sense of how to do that was the one now buried in the ground. Machi had entered the room herself and tried to recall all that Paku had done, such as talking to Rein or rubbing her back. But when she sat next to Rein, Machi hadn't been able to bring up any words, and her arms locked in on themselves. She couldn't do it.

So when Lucky told her he intended to weave _friendship bracelets_ with Rein, it seemed absurd. She couldn't trust anyone with the nature of his Nen. His method couldn't possibly work.

But it had.

More raspberries came from the room, growing more and more intense with each turn. Raspberry after raspberry after raspberry. Smiling. Machi could nearly hear Rein smiling.

Satisfied, Machi pushed off and started to walk away, leaving their childish flying spittle behind. Her feet softly padded down the hall as she went, silent to all but herself. She summoned up her threads and ranged through the color spectrum—the reds to the oranges to the yellows—until it landed on a light purple.

Orchid purple.

That Lucky, he wasn't all too bad.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To those suffering loss recently I'm also not completely sure if what Lucky did was actually good or not so forgive me if it's not for you. I didn't mean to offend you, I just projected Lucky's opinion on this specific fictional situation. I love you and wish you comfort.


	31. Good or Bad

Small footsteps made their way down the sunlight hallways, basking in warmth that felt like a steaming shower after a hard night. Skin cracking, renewing; refreshed. It was nice. They pattered up and down stairs, sometimes pausing to gaze out a window at the pure blueness of the sky. Unlike everything that had happened, it almost seemed peaceful; serene.

It felt like an eternity had passed, and Rein found it hard to believe it had only been a few days. So many—no—everything changed. The Chain User, Uvo, Paku, Chrollo, and her entire knowledge of the world as she knew it... everything had gone wrong so quickly. So she was comforted to know that there were still people by her side. All the Spiders that tried to comfort her, even if nothing helped. And that new person, Lucky.

Who, come to think of it, she had no idea who he was or why he was here.

She was close to bursting with questions, but she supposed the others could wait so she could address the more immediate one. But who should she ask?

"Tch. You too slow."

A frustrated pant. "I'm _trying!_ "

Rein quickly made her way to where the voices were, and stopped short upon seeing the sight. Feitan, standing as tall as he could, exasperated. Lucky, on the ground in a push-up position and going as fast as his long dangly arms would allow. His middle was sagging just a bit too much to be good posture, and his face was turning red every time he pushed up. It was evidently clear he was struggling.

He paused to seemingly adjust his plank, but was what Rein suspected was actually just an excuse to take a break. Sweat dripped down his slim jawline as he spoke. "Do I really have to do all this for Nen? I don't even want to."

Feitan looked on disapprovingly. "Talking not make you go faster."

Lucky threw a defiant glance his way before giving in and easing into another push up before Feitan could punish him for slacking off.

Now, one has to understand that Lucky is a tall person, and Feitan happens to be... quite the opposite. All on his own, Lucky stands at over a head and shoulders above the top of Feitan's. Add in his dusty sneakers and mussed hair, and he practically towers over the Spider, his four o'clock shadow enough to fit three whole Feitans. Feitan claimed to like his height, but perhaps something could be seen in the way that he'd forced Lucky to do exercises that require him to stay with his hands glued to the ground for well over an hour, while he stood and looked down upon him, issuing orders.

With a final push, Lucky once again lowered himself to the ground, but instead of getting up, he stayed there, done.

Feitan sniffed. "Ten more."

 _"No!"_ His cheek still pressed limply against the concrete, Lucky pointed a finger up at him without taking the extra effort to raise his arm as well. When he spoke, it was between short breaths. "I did all one hundred. I counted. I'm getting a degree in math. You can't trick me."

Feitan just rolled his eyes in response.

Rein cleared her throat, not exactly sure how to ask about everything at once. Their gazes shifted to her. "So. What are you doing?"

"Oh. Hey, Red." Lucky gave a small wave from the ground before his eyes fell to her wrist. With a pant, his already tired eyes softened a bit. "You're wearing the bracelet."

She glanced down at the utter mess of twisted purples, pinks, blues, grays, and white. She thought about making a quick retort about the terrible quality of her work, but ended up shrugging instead. Rein even smiled. "It's nice."

"Finally out of your room," Feitan commented in a tone that left her wondering whether he meant it as a good thing or a bad thing. He straightened even taller before returning to command Lucky. "Enough rest."

Not budging an inch from where he lay, Lucky restrained a groan. He tried to become one with the concrete, in vain. "But I haven't had a proper night's sleep in three months!" he complained, ignoring the fact that they were training in the middle of the day.

"Good. This will go faster." Feitan set his judgmental sights on Lucky's exhausted figure. Apparently, it wasn't exhausted enough for Feitan's liking, because he nodded toward the window, saying, "Run. Five laps."

New beads of sweat now starting to break out on his forehead, Lucky paled at the order. "But—"

Feitan glared, trying not to have to tilt his head back to look up at him. "Twenty-five laps," he corrected, an edge to his voice. "Move."

Holding in a scream he knew would only earn him more work, Lucky obeyed, slowly making his way to the outside. He started his runs around the building, finally letting out a single, guttural yell over what his life had become.

Machi walked in, glancing out the window. "Isn't this going overboard?" she questioned Feitan, an eyebrow quirked up at the amount he was working Lucky.

_"No."_

Machi shrugged and peeled herself off the windowsill, seemingly content with that answer and its result.

However, Rein was not. "Feitan, why is Lucky... why is he doing... why are you..." She wasn't sure how to phrase the question. How could she narrow it down to a single question when the thing that was confusing her was everything? Feitan might not answer her questions, especially since she hadn't even stated a full idea, but Machi would.

Machi was just like that. She didn't need full questions, she didn't need answers, she didn't need reason or logic. She just had a tendency to give out exactly what was needed at the time. Just your tone, your expression, your hesitation, and she knew how to respond.

"Danchou was starting to teach him," said Machi. "Just before we headed out to find the chain user, Danchou pulled him into a room and started to discuss Nen with him, in detail. Ten, Zetsu, Ren, and even Hatsu."

"Even Hatsu?"

"At the very least, Danchou wished to teach him proper Nen technique," Machi finished for her, crossing her arms for the explanation ahead. "When he came, his aura grew out of control at one point during interrogation. You might've realized, but his Nen holds destructive properties."

"He's a nuisance," Feitan grumbled, summarizing it all with no sugar coat. He promptly headed out to check if Lucky was actually doing the proper amount of laps.

"The fact that his aura was threatening his surroundings may have been one of the reasons Danchou decided to teach him. Maybe so he could control his own aura. Well," Machi lowered her head, "Even I can't read Danchou's mind, so we won't know for certain until he meets with us again."

Distant shouts and cries of _'faster'_ and _'I can't'_ floated through the early autumn breeze. "How does that connect to a hundred push-ups and twenty five laps around the entire base?" Rein asked. A strange light flickered in Machi's eyes, and Rein got the horrible feeling that Feitan had made Lucky do far more than just those two points. Feitan. He didn't know when to stop.

Done with a small flashback, Machi shrugged. "While Danchou is gone, might as well get him started. While you were in your room, there was a small vote and a coin toss to choose who would experiment with his Nen."

"And the trainer is—" Rein was cut off by yet another yell from the outside.

_"Faster."_

Her lips tightened. "—it's Feitan."

Was Feitan really the best choice? Anyway Rein looked at it, he clearly wasn't. Feitan was excellent in training for those who were used to it. Those who already has a steady trunk and firm branches. He was good at improving and honing skills that one already held, or building endurance; toughening up the roots and watering the tree. For saplings, ones without those skills or experience, Feitan's methods would end up crushing them underfoot.

Like Machi did, she gave an answer to a question Rein hadn't even asked yet. "Feitan's just trying to tire him out, so his aura will be easier to work with."

"Isn't this a little too much?"

Machi didn't need to reply this time, for the answer was crystal clear. After a long silence, Machi finally spoke up. "You're out of your room," she commented, saying nearly the exact same thing that Feitan did, though the way she put it sounded softer, as if she knew she was treading on a sensitive topic.

Rein gave a small, tasteless laugh. "Well, I," Her hand started to move for her pocket, but froze halfway. Right. Her skirt wasn't there. Her rock wasn't there. Her rock... raking in a slow breath, she moved her hand up to her head instead, running her fingers through her hair. "I figured it was time."

Machi's eyes latched onto her wrist with an intensity that hadn't been there before. "The bracelet."

Lowering her arm, Rein fingered the twisted mess of strings. She nodded, though unsure of why.

"Is that the one you made with Lucky?" Machi asked, the first time calling him by name since their conversation had started.

"Yeah." Rein moved her wrist so Machi could see better. She pointed. "That one's Paku. See?"

 _Orchid purple_. Machi nodded, and finally tore her gaze from the bracelet. "I know."

They both eventually made their way toward the window, squishing together to fit in that small, narrow space so they could both peer out. Or rather, peer _down_ at two dark haired men, each a wildly different height. Rein stared curiously, as if watching a sports show on television. Like the knockoff version of the Mezo-Alliance Olympics. She'd watched them with Uvo, he for fun and she to observe throwing technique. Of course, watching Lucky run—if what he was doing could even be called running—was nothing like watching professionals at work. But it still felt nostalgic. And so, Rein gazed down with that nostalgia churning in her middle, not sure whether it was a good feeling or a bad feeling.

Machi's gaze was different. As Machi looked down at Lucky— _'and Feitan as well, of course'_ she quickly added in her mind—there was a feeling in her stomach that she couldn't quite place. And her chest felt as if it was vibrating from the inside out, though that didn't make sense. Was it good or bad?

Probably bad. Perhaps she was getting sick.

* * *

Lucky was weak. Weak and pathetic, _absolutely_ pathetic.

Feitan dragged Lucky into the room with a single arm, irked. He growled at him to get up, with no response. From the tired lump came a content sigh, over and over again. Was Lucky really _sleeping_? Had he really fallen asleep while standing up, in that short distance from his makeshift track to the door? The _nerve_ of some people—

Feitan refused to acknowledge the possibility that maybe, just maybe, he'd worked Lucky too much. Refused to consider the fact that he was not used to this amount of exertion, not comfortable with pulling an all-nighter, not able to withstand the stress of being kidnapped, being a college student, being one who was frequently surrounded by unfortunate events. Refused to think that Feitan himself might have been in the wrong here.

No. It was _all_ Lucky's fault.

Feitan effortlessly dragged Lucky to one of the rooms and piled him on the ground. While Lucky was now asleep, there were a few upsides in exercising him till he dropped. Because of his exhaustion, his aura was now almost nonexistent, as if he'd never had it in the first place. Give him about an hour's rest, and he would regenerate enough aura to experiment with, while still being tired enough that his Nen wouldn't do anything bad.

At least Feitan hoped.

From the sun's positioning, Feitan estimated it was about an hour past noon. He would come back when the sun was another finger's width lower in the sky.

Noises came from below, noises of a loud idiot and one who talked nonstop.

When he reached the downstairs, Phinks and Shalnark were coming in through the door, laughing and chattering about what they'd just done. Tch. While he ended up having to work some raccoon to the bone, they'd gotten to go have fun.

"Hey, Feitan!" Shalnark called. From an old leather bag slung over his shoulder, he pulled something out with two hands, handling it carefully. One corner was dark with what he guessed was blood. Holding it high in the air, Shalnark shouted: "We got a game console for Greed Island!"

_Greed Island._

Thus, Feitan got an idea. He grinned. A very good idea.

* * *

Machi knocked, she did. But knocking only gets you so far when the person you're trying to wake up sleeps like a log. She entered the room.

Lucky was there, haphazardly thrown on his side as if Feitan couldn't bother to be troubled with adjusting him so he rested comfortably. One arm was twisted, pinned under his middle while the other was draped against the wall, and his cheek was pushed up against the ground. Awkward. That was all he was.

"Hey," she said, lightly tapping her foot to Lucky's shoulder. No response. "Hey," she repeated a bit more forcefully, bending down to grab his shoulders and shake him awake. Forget sleeping like a log, he may as well have been a cement block from how he was still sound asleep. " _Hey_ ," Machi raised her voice, and when that still didn't stir him awake, she pulled her hand back, ready to slap.

Ready to slap, but she didn't.

Machi had slapped many people before. Slapping one's face was scientifically proven to enhance their responsive abilities for a short period of time (not to mention it was _really_ satisfying to do so).

She'd slapped Feitan awake once, when he'd passed out after an intense battle. She'd pulled Chrollo out of his own shock when he lost the church that had housed his childhood. She'd drawn Nobunaga back to his senses after he once lost control of himself in rage and was about to make a very, very, stupid mistake. No to mention she'd slapped Hisoka just because he was being himself on a _number_ of occasions.

Feitan was going to train Lucky now in basic Ten. He needed to be awake for that. Feitan let Lucky rest for an hour just so he would be conscious and awake for the Nen lesson, but the hour he'd let him sleep would still make him dead tired, with the sleepless night and the extensive exercise. That would allow his aura to be more docile and easily controlled.

Not only would slapping wake Lucky up, it would get him moving, be active. If he slept any longer, who knew what his Nen could do? More sleep meant more time for his aura to build up again. Right, right. Machi had to wake him up now. Now.

She knew she had to wake him any moment now.

So why was her hand seizing up?

Every time she would try to move herself to slap him awake, she would think. Think too much. It was a plus to be analytical and observant. But the thoughts filling her head now were unreasonable, certainly not stemming from the logical part of her brain.

On one hand, Lucky needed to be awake as quickly as possible.

On the other, he'd stayed up all night with Rein. He'd stayed up all night talking her through things, making those bracelets, and just being there. He didn't have to do it, but he did. He could have wallowed in self pity over his own circumstances, and she wouldn't have blamed him for it. But the fact that through all his own turmoil, he tried to help someone he barely knew...

It was admirable.

With a huff, Machi drew back her hand, crossing her arms.

She glanced to the small nick on his eyebrow, to the long scar on his cheekbone, right below his eye. A scar of old, the skin puckered, pinker, and soft.

Maybe... yes. Maybe she'd let him rest, just for a little while longer. 


	32. Finally

Really, the _nerve_ of some people—

Storming up to him, Feitan dumped a bucket of water on Lucky, who rapidly sputtered awake in drowning panic, spitting out the water in his mouth and sending the droplets flying. He pounded his chest a few times before immediately laying down in an attempt to fall asleep once more.

Sleeping? Again? Feitan grabbed his upper arm and pulled him upright, glaring. "Ten. Now." Groaning, Lucky rolled over into push-up position before Feitan pulled him back up roughly. "No. Ten with aura."

Lucky rubbed his eyes. "With aura," he repeated slowly, trying to figure things out. He rubbed his eyes some more to buy himself some time.

Feitan became miffed, seeing right through his scheme. "Sun won't stay in the sky forever."

"I completely understand," Lucky nodded, not understanding at all, "but ten _what_ with aura?"

"Not ten. Ten."

A silence.

"Emo Loser, you're killing me here." With the withering look he was sent, Lucky wished he hadn't brought up the topic at all, much less the bitter nickname. He'd witnessed some of Feitan's physical ability, and he'd been handed draining mind-and-body exercises like it was nothing. If that was the norm for him, Feitan could kill him all too easily, that was a given.

Luckily, Feitan only bristled the slightest bit before casting off his annoyance. Most of the Spiders did that often, sliding away their feelings and hoping they would disappear. It was just a need in their line of work. Feitan draped himself to the ground and sat with legs crossed and arms resting poised on his knees, not minding that this now put his eye level severely below Lucky's.

Refusing to tilt his head up to meet his eyes, he now had to deal with furiously being on the same level as his god forsaken _shoulder_...

Perhaps he minded the height difference a little bit, but he wasn't going to show it. Especially now, as a teacher. As, technically, Lucky's _superior_.

Yes, Feitan was superior, was a teacher. And if there was one thing about Feitan, it was that he never settled for less than the top. Ever since he'd busted out of the cage labeled Meteor City, Feitan strived, strived to do his best, strived to out do his best by trillions of miles. Teaching was no exception.

"Ten is a technique," he started, eyes closed. Feitan felt his own Nen flow around him, within him, below, above, inside and out, melting around his fingers and sending waves up his spine and sweeping to the tips of raven hair. Around him, enveloping him with phantom arms, never leaking away. "Every person holds aura, but it leaks away. Control it. Have it surround you." Every breath he took held meaning as he remembered all the lessons from long ago. His own aura, brisk and cool, its deliberate movement likening it to chill winter. "Don't let it leave. Have it complete. In your skin, out your soul."

He cracked open an eye to his bewildered pupil, who was observing him with an interested eye.

"Master it."

* * *

"Machi?"

She glanced up from her sewing, questioning.

Rein hung in the room, fingering the hem of her shorts. Clearly, she would have felt more comfortable with her skirt, but her skirt was currently crackling with the man's dried blood and was nowhere near suitable for wearing. Her words came wavering. "Can we talk? Everyone else is either gone or busy."

This moment had finally come. "Sure." Machi lowered her project and pat the ground next to her with a trained palm.

Rein took the offer gratefully and sat down next to her. It was quiet. "I learned a few things, while I was gone. I'm Kurta. Right? I can't not be Kurta, that doesn't make sense." The stiffness was more an answer than anything, especially with the overwhelming evidence. "Could you tell me what happened?"

"You haven't regained your memories?"

A loose shake of the head.

"Oh. I see. It seems we did some overthinking." Without explaining herself, Machi nestled against the concrete walls, her nerves in tatters, but firm. Unwavering, like she always was.

"We were going to attack the Kurta for their Scarlet Eyes. Danchou wanted a pair. And we... we're thieves. We take what we want. We killed everyone there, except for you, and that chain user. We don't know how the chain user escaped, but for you, I think Danchou wanted to experiment. Try his hand at raising a child." Her head pressed against grey. "There was an event that happened a little bit before the massacre, with the eighth Spider."

"Shizuku? But didn't she come after I did?"

"Not Shizuku. There was a former number eight. You never met her."

To think that there was still so much Rein still didn't know, not only the part of her past that the Troupe hid from her, but even of the world that they let her see, the one she'd tried to explore. And still, she didn't know so much. "And? What happened with her?"

Machi nodded slowly. "We were raiding an auction one night, and she went off on her own. The next three months, she got really sick, and, well..." Machi took a breath. "She was ever so slightly..." She searched for words. Coming up with no alternative, she settled with: "...pregnant." 

A mix of shock, amusement, and bewilderment from the sudden twist filled Rein. "Pregnant," she repeated. Rein knew babies came from women. It was obvious, she knew that much. She wasn't dumb. It was just the only women she'd actually spent time with were of the Phantom Troupe. Pregnancy was a foreign concept to her, a branch of a myth. Something of white, flying storks. "And?" she inquired, curious as to the rest of the tale.

"She gave birth, with some help from me." Machi almost looked proud. "She tried so hard to stay with the Troupe during the next few years, but I think it was too taxing for her. She couldn't track down the father again, so she had to take care of the baby herself with no experience, and... You don't know this, but some of us knew Hisoka from a long time ago, ever since before the Kurta massacre. He pressured her and made her feel guilty over nothing—" She clenched her fists, working up her rage over Hisoka all over again. He always did this. It wasn't just eight. He'd manipulated Rein, Chrollo, herself, Pakunoda, and more. He always did this, and she hated that. Hated him. "She was a talented Nen user, but never the strongest person on the inside. She ended up resigning her spot and left with her son before Danchou announced the mission for the Scarlet Eyes."

"And so I wasn't killed," Rein concluded mere moments before realizing that wasn't the conclusion at all. Clearly there must have been more if there were so many pieces to the puzzle still missing. "And how does the eighth Spider and her son connect to me?"

Machi decided to backtrack. "We think she ended up committing suicide." Machi's face was unreadable. "Feitan saw her jump."

Rein tugged at her hair. Oh.

Oh.

 _And?_ she wanted to ask, but didn't want to break the mood after what was just revealed. Machi's face, normally so cool and calm, was troubled, angry, and the tiniest hint of lonely. She'd actually seemed that way since Paku died, but now, this talk was bringing all the memories back.

Machi held it all in. She was skilled at that. Rein wiped at her eyes, though they were dry. She wanted to wipe the woman's, however silly that seemed. There weren't tears, but she must have been sad. Machi had been close to Paku, and from her story, she sounded just as close to the former number eight as well. The females in the Phantom Troupe stuck together, their gender and the problems that came with it bonding them closer than to the other male Spiders.

Machi lost two of them, and she was holding it all in, had started doing so for who knew how long.

Knowing full well that this story was what the girl needed to hear, Machi took up the topic once more. "I'm not sure I can blame Hisoka for everything that happened, but he was the catalyst in pushing number eight to that tipping point, just so he'd be considered for a spot in the Troupe." Machi's already hateful look hardened. "Danchou didn't let him."

Machi cracked her knuckles, just to relieve some of her own tension. "It was for the better. He didn't just kill number eight. If that's all he'd done, I'm sure Danchou would have considered his spot on the Phantom Troupe much earlier, and we might have accepted him. But Hisoka manipulated her mental state. There was a certain bitterness to it that was hard to let slide, least of all Phinks." A pause, for determining whether this next part was hers to tell. Machi gave in. "Phinks liked her, I suppose. A lot."

A corner of Rein's mouth suddenly quirked up against her will. A crush. Phinks _Magcub_? It was impossible to imagine.

"It was a week after Feitan announced her death that we went to the Kurta. We completed the massacre, and we thought we were done, but we missed one person. We missed one, drooling little girl."

Rein wiped at her mouth self consciously, and Machi almost broke her shell to smile at that.

She instead inclined her head. "I'm not sure exactly what Danchou's reasoning was. I can't read minds like Paku. But I think somewhere, whether he realized it or not, Danchou wanted to get back at Hisoka. Prove him wrong, in a way. Prove to him that being a Spider and raising a child was possible. Number eight couldn't do it, but he would. Of course, there was everything with you being a new experiment to Danchou, and being a surprising challenge for him, but in the end, that was the driving force."

Rein was on the verge of asking about her missing memories when a sudden scream burst out, and their heads whipped toward the sound. They looked to each other, baffled eyes meeting mildly intrigued ones.

This talk could wait.

Rein's lips popped open. "Should we...?"

"Probably."

* * *

Alone once again, Kurapika sat in his room, hands clasped with shoulders drawn forward in deep thought. He had a lot to mull over, and his brain didn't know where to start.

He'd killed a Spider, and if what his chains told him were correct, he'd succeeded in killing another. He'd made sure the head would never meet with the rest of his comrades again. The Spider was crushed. Right, they were done.

But they still had Aira. Or Rein, as she called herself. He supposed it didn't really matter, because they were the same person, weren't they? They were, and names didn't matter.

The only thing that mattered was the truth.

His hands clasped and unclasped, folded together, and folded together in the other direction; chains were twisted, knotted, dangled, looped. His hands never stopped moving. Was he really that restless?

Aira was still with the Spiders, and still under their control. They were lying to her and manipulating her, and he had to help her see that. They'd replaced her concept of family with such a twisted view. He was almost afraid to hear of her experiences after the massacre. She'd most likely been mistreated and forced to become a Spider, for reasons unknown to him, so much that either her memory faded or that she just didn't care any more. Yes, the only possible reason she had for jumping in front of Machi was that she had been specifically trained to do so. She'd lied to Gon and the others and even to him because she had been ordered to do so. All her lies had been carefully crafted by the Troupe members beforehand.

This had to be it! How had he missed this before? It all fit right in.

Little Aira who fell out of trees was being strung along with the Spider's wishes against her will. Of course. They were the Phantom Troupe; this was the only logical explanation. His expression darkened as the sun shifted from its high place, sending rays streaming to the ground, a dollop of sunlight shining off his chains.

Yes. They still had Aira, and Kurapika would have to get her back.

But for now, he supposed as he pulled out his phone to make a quick call, he would lean back and let someone else take the wheel.

* * *

"Again."

_"No!"_

Machi and Rein ran towards where the scream had come from, bewildered. Lucky was on his hands and knees, collapsed and gulping in breaths, clearly having been the source of the panicked sound. Feitan sat near with legs crossed, once again disapproving of his student.

Lucky swallowed another deep bulk of air, forehead beading. "Crap, I thought I was going to _die_."

Rein sighed. "Feitan, what did you do?"

"Tch." Feitan didn't seem to particularly care about whatever just happened. "He failed Ten."

Lucky considered arguing. "I tried Ten, and I got it for a split second. You saw, right?" He looked to Feitan, who refused to acknowledge him. "And I was happy, because I finally did it! But then I felt like I was going to throw up. My stomach actually burned and I seized up and I couldn't _move_. My entire body felt like it was on fire. I gave up Ten, and everything went back to normal, but crap, I seriously thought I would die right then and there. I am never doing Ten again."

Machi came to a hypothesis quickly. "I agree. You should never do Ten," she stated.

Feitan's bangs shook when he lifted his head, interested in Machi's coming theory.

"He shouldn't?" Rein asked.

"I shouldn't?" Lucky echoed.

"Your Nen holds destructive properties. If you stay in Ten, a state in which excess aura doesn't leak away from the body, your entire Nen will be concentrated around you. You already have an abundance of aura as it is, and it regenerates quickly." Machi almost seemed thoughtful as she started to list the possibilities. "With the nature of your aura, if you instigated Ten, you could have a fatal blood clot."

"What?"

"Your heart might stop beating, or you could choke to death."

"What?"

"General organ failure."

_"What?"_

"You would most likely die."

Lucky held her gaze in his for a few long seconds and let out a painfully slow breath. "Okay, so no Ten."

"No perfect Ten," she affirmed.

They existed in tight silence, and just as each of their trains of thought were starting to wander, Shalnark appeared. Burst onto the scene, as he always did. Feitan glowered, and all Shal did was send sunshine back his way.

"Fei, the Greed Island console's ready!" he exclaimed, twirling a small screwdriver in his hand. "We have slots ready to go right now."

Feitan took a moment to crack a rare, conniving grin, hidden by a pale painted skull.

"Feitan?"

Surprisingly, Feitan answered a question that hadn't been asked. "We go to Greed Island to train. Make a Hatsu." He peered at both Lucky and Rein before settling his sights on the latter. "You wait too much. You have to make a Hatsu sometime, so make it now." Then he turned to Lucky, stretching his spine as vertically as it could get. "You come later. We meet again at the Hunter Exam. Pass or else."

Lucky's expression wavered before lighting up. He was still tentative. "Are you saying that... you're letting me go?"

"Until Hunter Exam." Feitan brought up his hand so the others could see, immediately sharpening it to knives. A threat. "Then you will come to Greed Island to make your own Hatsu. Fail to show up and I track you down."

"But I can leave," Lucky asked for confirmation. He was almost afraid the answer would be no, that he was being toyed with.

A roll of the eyes from the Spider told him otherwise. "Do you need repeat?" he snapped.

"I... I can leave." Lucky almost broke down in relief, but he was too tired to show much of an outwardly reaction. But his insides were laughing, crying joyous tears. He settled with instead lowering himself to the ground and throwing out his arms, closing his eyes for well-earned rest. Every muscle ached, even the ones around his mouth. But that didn't stop an easy smile from making its way across his lips as he drifted off to sleep, canceling out their voices.

He was finally, _finally_ going to be able to take that advanced physics test. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Q: Why did you have Phinks have a crush, of all people?  
> A: *adjusts imaginary glasses* Because he's a super underrated character that always gets caught in Feitan's shadow, and in my opinion I think he really deserves to have his time in the spotligh-  
> Q: Did you just want to write an emotionally constipated guy?  
> A: maybe.


	33. A Step Forward

Lucky was in the midst of drifting off when a very crucial thought popped into his mind. "Hold up," he said, words a bit slurred with tiredness, "can I leave right now?"

Feitan was sick of answering his persistent questions. "Yes."

"Great!" He forced himself to get up again, pushing up to a slouched seated position. "What is this, Thursday?"

"Wednesday."

"Even better. It's like, what, nine in the morning, right?"

"Two thirty."

"In the _morning_?"

Feitan's bottom eyelid nearly started to twitch. "Pm."

"Whatever, same thing. If I hurry, I can go make up my test with no penalty!" Lucky got up. His shoulders sagged and his form was anything but awake, but the way he held himself hummed with purpose, a meaning. It made him look alive. He scrambled for his jacket and shoved his arms into the sleeves, eager.

"You're... leaving?"

Upon hearing Rein, he paused, slowly lowering his arms as he shrugged on the jacket.

Rein kept her expression blank as she could, but failed to keep the despair from her voice. "Now?"

Lucky nearly winced at her tone. Only mere days had passed since Rein had lost people close to her. Only a few days, and yet she stood tall, she smiled, she talked; her recovery was developing nicely. But though she tried to hide it, she looked miserable at this idea of parting, even if it was with him, who she hadn't known for a long time. Any goodbye must have been hard on her, no matter how well she seemed to be shouldering the rest of it. Recovery wasn't a snap-and-done thing. It wasn't something that was magically 'cured' over a single event or a single night. Recovery required time and effort. Rein may have been like the Phantom Troupe, but in the end, the kid was still just a kid.

"Hey," Lucky said softly, kneeling to her eye level. He held up his fist, grinning. "I'll see you at the Hunter Exam. For sure, Red. Promise."

Slowly, Rein raised her fist up to his, the frayed ends of their friendship bracelets touching.

With a smile, she nodded. "Deal."

When Lucky stood back up with a sense of accomplishment, the three Spiders looked at him curiously.

It had been a while since they'd seen such an action. Quiet, soft, a product of fireflies and cool night air and just... friendship. Not a friendship between friends, if that made sense, but more a special bond. A bond between people. Humans. A bond through weaving bracelets, and something that light and fragile—but at the same time so strong—the Spiders weren't familiar with. It just wasn't something they were exposed to on a daily basis. And it was strange.

But as the three Spiders watched Lucky and the simple fist bump that held so much more meaning, it sparked the small amount of faded memories they had.

Shalnark thought of his childhood, running around and searching for rusted stoves, burners, cell towers, crumpled old models of cars, and anything that had been dumped in Meteor City worth breaking down to look at its components. He remembered sleepless nights of tinkering and the watchful eye of the guardian that had cared for him.

Feitan recalled the time he'd first met Phinks, and becoming each other's first ever friend. They'd gone around Meteor City as a duo, scavenging and stealing to survive. They worked to hunt, to make fire, to run away from the mafia and torture some of the less desirable people if they dared to try and capture them to sell them off. They'd worked to survive, and they'd worked together. Before long, Feitan had genuinely learned to enjoy the other's loud but comforting company, spending many nights talking side by side about their ideal future, their goals.

Seeing Lucky here with Rein, Machi was reminded of the first time anyone had reached out to her and she'd reached back. The founding of the Phantom Troupe. Back then, Danchou wasn't their head or their boss. He'd been Chrollo, a leader who'd offered a ticket to a better life. The Spiders had been the first people Machi trusted enough to depend on and later proudly think of as comrades.

While this scene brought various memories to the Spiders present, it was also kind of different, in a way. The memories themselves they were fond of whether they would admit it or not, and this small interaction of caring reminded them of it. But it wasn't the same. There was no darkness in this, no twisted background, no cruel scrapyard city that took and took but was appreciated nonetheless.

They all didn't know quite how to feel. But it was making them all feel something. Something they'd never encountered, at least not on its own. Something a bit... fuzzy and warm.

Lucky dashed out with a quick wave and an unbridled whoop as he happily ran off, while each of the Spiders were in a daze trying to figure out just what was happening to them.

Machi's hand lifted by itself and waved back before she could scowl at it, ordering her arm to lower.

"Uh," Shalnark clapped his hands together. "Let's go!"

The other three followed him to the main room, where the others were waiting. Phinks' mouth was curled up in a way that suggested he'd been in the middle of grinning. He was excited. "So Shal, how do we work this thing?" Phinks kicked at the game console to irritate Shalnark.

Shalnark bristled at the abuse but immediately calmed down. He started to explain. "This is a Nen-driven game, meaning only Nen users can enter. You input your slot, hold Ten, and you're transported in. It's obviously a Nen ability of some sorts, made by the game's creators. We get some instruction before we're let out into the front, but we'll find out more when we question the players inside. So." Shalnark flicked a gold coin into the air, deftly catching it in the air. "Who wants to go first?

Competitive coin tossing was indeed just that. Competitive, especially between Phinks and Rein. 

Rein won, and she would never, ever let Phinks live it down. She stood before the console smugly while Phinks pounded a hole into the ground, frustrated. This sense of teasing and competitiveness that had only recently returned to her felt good when it was in use.

"Hold your hands out like this," Shalnark instructed. "Wait at the entrance until everyone arrives. Also, players often take advantage of the little knowledge of the game the new players have, so keep an eye out," Shalnark warned before taking a moment to ruffle her hair. "And I know it's hard for you but try to remember what instructions you're given, okay?"

 _"Hey."_ Rein tried to swat his arm, but he dodged. Shrugging, she drew up her Ten, ready. All went still and quiet for a split second before her insides started to swirl, every object melding together into a faster blur, as if chaos itself could be expressed through music, shapes, colors and light.

And so Rein entered Greed Island, the world blazing before her.

* * *

Lucky's feet pounded the earth, but he didn't feel the pain. Last time he'd run this far without stopping was when he'd been forced to run to the Spider base from near his apartment, and that had burned like crazy. Now, he was running as a free man, as a revived soul, of his own will. His legs propelled him forward, and it didn't hurt because he wanted to run, he _chose_ to run, and he had a valid reason to, strangely, a reason he was looking forward to. It didn't hurt because he was liberated, unchained, untethered, free—

Plus his arm wasn't screaming with pain now, so he guessed that helped a lot.

Lucky continued to run to the city, pace steady.

He already had so many unexcused absences, and another would be enough to kick him off the course. His teacher was a rather reasonable woman who let such things slide if dedication was proven in the form of grades. If he were a normal person, he suspected he and his teacher would get along nicely.

But he was not normal. So he absolutely had to make up this test before the day gave away, or he would be floundering in a sea of academically terrible things.

Lucky was delighted to take a running step on actual concrete, and was ecstatic when he made his way onto school grounds, waving to the gardener as he went. It was a marker stating that he'd left the dust and the push-ups and the Spiders far behind.

The Spiders.

At their sudden intrusion into his thoughts, he tripped.

He would have to return to them eventually, even if it was against his own will. He'd heard of Greed Island before, but he didn't know where it was. And if this was an island for training as they were going to use it as, it must have been one heck of a place. Wherever and whatever Greed Island happened to be, it would take up a lot of his time. He wouldn't be able to go to college anymore, at least not this one. His pace slowed.

The faintest whisper of his name graced his ears, and he pumped his legs. Closer, he could make out the repeated word: "Pinōson?"

His name. He hastily made his way to the classroom within the next minute, and collapsed onto the ground. The teacher started to drill him about whose car he'd crashed now, or what crazed seagull had stolen his backpack this time. He'd never been believed, not once. Still laying on the ground, he grinned up at his unbelieving professor. "I was kidnapped," he explained simply, and wondered when he would see them again.

* * *

Rein waited per Shalnark's orders at the entrance until everyone had gotten in. They all started to head in the direction that Shalnark insisted was the way to civilization. Whether he was right or not, they would find out. Along the way, some of the others wandered off on their own paths, but Rein stuck close to Machi.

Suddenly, Machi met her eyes, making her jump. "Do you want to talk?" she asked, direct. "You can't just look at me. I can't answer questions if you don't ask them." 

But that was what Machi was good at.

"Ah, yeah." Up ahead was a field of tall grasses. Shalnark barreled right on in, and the others followed with little complaint. Rein pushed her way through, trying not to get any plant stuck in her eye.

"You left off with why I was taken in, but what happened after? This was five years ago. Shouldn't I have some memories from before?"

"Shalnark tracked down a Nen user who specialized in removing and locking away memories." Machi's words came automatically, as if she'd thought this through and came to the conclusion to tell the truth as it was. "You hit your head pretty hard during the attack, so you already had a degree of amnesia, but it wasn't guaranteed that it would last. Danchou had the man explain and demonstrate his ability on you, but the process took so long that he wasn't able to steal his Hatsu." Machi shrugged. "He didn't seem the most stable though. The man was going mad, so there's a chance you might get your memories back one day."

Rein nodded a yes, but inside, she wasn't sure. Getting her memories back might be nice, but did she want that to happen? She knew the answer, and the answer was no. She didn't want anything to change. She didn't _like_ change. So much had happened already during their short time in Yorknew, so many horrible events, and things were finally settling down. She didn't want that to change. She wanted to stay like this.

She looked around to the rest of the Spiders. Shalnark's expression was as light as ever, and Feitan's the opposite, as it should've been. This was her world and she didn't care to have her reality come crashing to bits once more. Rein continued to turn her head, and her gaze caught on Phinks.

A sudden thought returned to Rein.

Rein snorted. Phinks cast a glance back, as if knowing that she was laughing at him. She struggled to cover up her snickers and turned away, only heightening his suspicion. Phinks, she remembered, with a crush.

Yes, the former eighth Spider who was the entire reason Rein was alive. Rein felt she had to give her some credit, as thanks and out of duty for her remembrance.

"Machi?" Rein asked, running her palm over soft green buds of foxtail. She rubbed two of the stems between her fingers. "The number eight, before Shizuku, what was her name?"

After a pause; "Temmi," she answered.

"Temmi," Rein repeated, plucking one of the grasses. It was a pretty name, and she commented such. "Do you remember the name of her kid?"

Machi held a hand to her chin. "If I'm not mistaken," she started before trailing off. Her brow tensed in concentration, trying to recall. Machi held a good memory, one of the keenest in the Troupe. She prided herself on it with absolutely sure jabs of details and looking away in an successful attempt to not blush when she was complimented for it.

But Rein thought that maybe Paku's death (she was even surprised at herself she could think that without tears) had changed Machi. It certainly changed her, along with Uvo's. Machi shouldn't be put under too much pressure. She was already suppressing her feelings enough, or so Rein suspected, and the least she could do was lighten the load. "I was just curious, so it's fine if you don't remember—"

"No," Machi said, the name finally back on her tongue. "I think his name was Zushi."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> oh look. a sudden plot twist.


	34. Setting Up

"I thought Greed Island would be a challenge, but it's been a piece of cake!" Shalnark announced to the world as he trudged through the foliage. "Getting information's been super easy, plus the cards only have the obstacle of determining where they're located and the method in which you have to retrieve them. Now, there are the powerful players..." Shalnark continued to drabble on, about possibilities and theories, finishing with a neat, "Don't you think, Feitan?"

"Why am I here," Feitan muttered under his breath, pushing past him to move ahead on his own.

Shalnark froze in the middle of his next sentence and reached for the sleeve of his comrade, who immediately pulled away. He pointed. "Feitan, isn't that a good training space?"

Feitan spared a critical eye. A clear area, with high walls caused from industrial digging before it had been abandoned, the place was like a pre-dug out war zone. Lumpy and bare. "Too flat," he stated, walking on.

Shalnark shrugged at the rejection. "Anyway, back to the game. I find it peculiar how there was the result of having your physical body disappear when you entered. It seems kind of set up in a certain way, you know? Like they want us to find something out." A leaf crunched under Shalnark's soft slipper. "I think this is somewhere in the real world."

The world went still, as if hesitating to dissuade him of something so true. There was a stream nearby, and he bent down to dip his fingers in it, sipping the crystal clear water from his cupped hands. "It's all real," Shalnark said, wiping his mouth and hands dry.

Feitan convinced himself he wasn't surprised.

A glimmer appeared in Shalnark's eyes, the flowing stream reflecting the sunlight so his eyes swam, sparkling. "Should we test it?"

Feitan looked away, disinterested as he was set on looking for a training space himself, without help. He didn't care whether Greed Island was real or not, only about what was in the stupid game and whether he could take advantage of that.

Smiling and shaking his head, Shalnark followed as his comrade continued on the path without him. "Anyway, where exactly are you looking for in a training area? Somewhere with obstacles? Although I guess it also depends on what kind of training you're going to put them through. What kind?"

"The hard kind."

"So a difficult but rewarding improvement schedule. Physical or purely Nen?"

"Both."

After a silence, Shalnark's cheeks puffed out in the smallest huff. "You have to give me more specifics about what you have in mind or else I won't be able to lend you my help at all," he tried to argue, in vain.

"Didn't ask for it."

He shook off Feitan's coldness. It was nothing new. "What about there?" he suggested, gesturing at the waterfall they passed. "Lots of resources. Here, their skills at surviving in nature are going to improve, surely. Lucky could learn a thing or two about how to stay alive, don't you think?"

Before he knew it, Feitan had gone on without him. "Not good enough," was the justification.

Shal had to lightly jog to catch up, and immediately restarted the pointing and suggesting. "What about-"

"No." A fierce gaze was held for the slightest moment before Feitan dipped his head and continued on his way. " _I_ choose," he said, tone a bit too forceful than he would have liked it to be.

A pause. "You know," Shal said slowly, starting to unravel the convoluted knot of emotions before him. "You seem awful determined to find a training space yourself, even if I was the one who suggested to go look for one."

Head forward but ears perked back, Feitan didn't respond.

"Training Lucky, whom Danchou approved of for giving further instruction, isn't set on you just because the title was temporarily bestowed upon you via coin toss. Both his and Rein's coaching in Nen could be done by any of us, and you should know this. This isn't your responsibility, and as such, I suggested to scout out a training area for their development in overall Nen ability. So why are _you_ bitter? There's no reason to be. But to be discontent and to bring yourself along seems peculiar, doesn't it? The only logical cause for bristling at someone else trying to take charge of their set future instruction is: while fully knowing they aren't your responsibility, you _want_ them to be." Shalnark's fingertip was placed knowingly against his temple, tauntingly frozen for a few seconds before he started to ramble again. "Of course, the concept of knowing what you want and denying it differ wildly—"

Feitan zoned out, unfeeling toward this blathering spectacle, the weight of his comrade's words flowing free and weightless but suffocating him all the same.

Shalnark was skilled at analysis and digging deeper into the heart of a matter, discerning the root of any action and yanking it out to observe it even closer. In the process, he exposed rather fragile topics to the harsh world, naked, bare, and unprotected.

In short, Feitan did not like what was being implied.

Gray leather boots hitting the ground with a bit more kick to his step than he would have liked, Feitan tried to shove down whatever hostility he was feeling. Strong people did not become provoked. Strong people were not swayed by mere words. Strong people... Feitan looked back for a split second, apathetic. "I don't care," he stated, cutting him off.

Feitan turned his head to the horizon, hair slicking itself back from the breeze he stood against. He tried to stand tall, tried to stand straight and proud, tried to stand strong. It was hard, though. He could _feel_ Shal's eyes burning pure rays of sunshine into his back. Knowing. Smirking. What right did he have to look at him like that?

Suddenly, he came to a complete stop. "There."

Shal shielded his eyes from the sun, his other arm settled comfortably on his waist as he looked at the view. "Is this going to be the place?"

Steep, sloping sides of cliffs, some smooth, some rough. Secluded from any major cities and nearer to the forest. Some larger, flatter areas were mixed in with areas of great difficulty to maneuver around. But most of all, silent. Silent and quiet and still.

This was the place. Here, they would sweat, bleed, and train. Feitan almost became excited. Almost. A side of Feitan's mouth tightened inwards and upwards, and he turned away from Shalnark to hide it, lest the idiot made any other wild claims and assumptions.

* * *

Lucky took a weight training class to build up his muscles and overall physical ability. He had to, if he was even going to dream of passing the Hunter Exam. But gyms have machines, and machines can break. There are heavy weighted plates, which break people's feet if you drop them hard enough. There are complicated plastic and metal structures that are extremely dangerous if they collapse on the people who happen to be bench-pressing at the moment. There are mirrors that when combined with a flying metal object... needless to say, Lucky was kicked out of the training class within a day, which meant he was back at square one.

It was almost comical how every time Lucky tried to give it his all, something had to happen. Something always happened. _Always_.

At this rate, would he even be able to qualify for the Hunter Exam? Would he pass? Did he have the potential that the Spiders thought he had? A small, tiny part in him whispered the contrary: _'no.'_ A small tiny part in him, of no significance. But it was this little negative voice inside that Lucky had fallen victim to many times.

Lucky hadn't been planning on taking the Exam anytime soon. He'd thought of it many times before, but he'd struggled to find the incentive. Plans, on which he procrastinated on with excuses of college, his unluckiness, and struggling to pay for his apartment. This had some sort of legitimacy. College and education in general was a tricky thing. It's very hard when you fear for your own safety and of others. And his apartment...

His college had dorms. He'd paid for it at first, but with everything that happened around him, he'd quickly been told to go find somewhere on his own or to attend a different school. In simple terms, he'd been evicted from his own dorm. Not knowing where to go, he'd slept on a bench in the park that night. It was only one night, and he'd been able to find an apartment the day after, so it was nothing, really. Nothing. He forgave the school. It wasn't their fault they wanted to stay safe from him. It was fine now, so why hold it against them?

Lucky was never able to hold a steady job, so as of now, he lived on the checks sent to him by the grateful relatives of the many people who's lives he'd saved. Still, rent was hard, not to mention insurance. To save as much as he could, Lucky usually lived in darkness, without the electricity. He wasn't sure to what extent it helped, but it did lighten the load on his shoulders a bit. But being one of the few people at his college who had to work to make ends meet and persevere to even have a roof over their heads... it was hard. It was hard assuring himself and everyone else that he was fine when deep down, he was never sure of where he would get his food or when he would rest or if anyone he cared about would stay safe.

For all the times he'd thrown a convincing grin and said _'I'm okay'_... would he ever be?

He took a deep breath; in and out. It felt like inhaling poison. Gulping on a dry throat, he set his head back against thin walls, comfortingly sturdy. When he closed his eyes, the only telltale sign that he had done the action were the shadows taking up his entire view.

He didn't mind the fact that he was alone, really. He'd gotten used to it. In the beginning, he lived with his family. But as each of them either passed or drifted away and Lucky found himself surrounded by less and less people, he'd come to the realization that he didn't have many friends. He couldn't make any, since no one wanted to risk being near him. He'd learned how to be alone, and he was fine. Really, it was okay. From very early on, this had been his world.

It... It meant less people to lose. That was an upside, right?

Not many people voluntarily hung around Lucky. This made absolute sense of course, the last time anyone tried they nearly got hurt, and Lucky didn't blame them. It wasn't their fault they wanted to stay safe, and if they wanted to stay safe, they... they should stay away from him. He wanted people feeling safe and secure, so this... this was the best course of action.

Lucky was used to getting by on his own, used to being alone with no one relating to him. It was his life. It was fine. It was his normal.

So when the Phantom Troupe crashed into his life and completely shattered that normal, it was strange, sure. He'd been scared, who wouldn't have been? He'd been confused and physically hurt, and had been forced to exercise. But beneath all of that, he felt a twinge of gratefulness. Because even after he'd nearly hurt them, they made him stick around. They made him run laps, they made him learn Nen, they made him promise to come back for the Hunter Exam.

Instead of shunning him for his unluckiness, they'd _forced_ him to stick around because of it, and so, somehow, that was better. It felt a lot better, at least to him.

They'd given him the motivation to try again. And not because that if he _didn't_ try he would be hunted down. In fact, he had every intention to train as hard as he could and to try his very best when the Hunter Exam rolled around. Seeing all them, with their passions and skills and goals... it was amazing. It was amazing, and he would have to try. He'd promised, didn't he? He'd promised Red they would meet again, and a bond through weaving friendship bracelets was not one that was easily severed. No matter what happened, he had to pull through and try.

He licked his lips. _Try._ It had been a foreign word until now.

Before he knew it, he'd smiled at its familiarity. The word had a nice ring to it. This word he would have to make his own one day, and perhaps he would be able to make his name his own as well.

A few months until the Hunter Exam. He would stay at his current college for one more week to wrap up loose ends before switching to the online college he'd found, and the online didn't officially start the school year until next month. In that short period of time, he had to find somewhere to train, and even better if he found some _one_ to train him in Nen.

Do some simple estimation, and Lucky only had eleven weeks to prepare for the Exam in total, and that was assuming he found a trainer right off the bat. On his own, he wouldn't be able to do anything in time, that was a given. But if he employed outside assistance, it had the potential to change the outcome, hopefully for the better.

He pulled up his list of contacts on his phone. Quite a few people in this world were alive only because Lucky had been there to save them. Not to mention he'd helped many injured people as well, and had even stuck around to deliver babies. Many families owed him, and he had each and every single one of their contact information stored on his outdated phone.

He scrolled through the list, and the short description of why and how they had met. He didn't know if anyone knew nen, as he'd only recently learned of its existence himself. Still, there was that one particular person from a few years ago who'd done something that had to be of Nen power... Lucky was sure he'd seen his name last time he looked through the sea of contacts. Crud, where was he?

Wait. He scrolled back up, eyes coming to rest on a single name. Lucky smiled. This was the person he needed to find. As the outside flickered, the black, pixely text winked right back up at him.

_Zian, Wing._

* * *

Far away, a conversation was being held. Both recipients were far from the other, and hardly even knew the person they were speaking to. But...

_"I trust you will succeed."_

A gulp. "I will do my best, sir."

The line cut off.

* * *

Wing was a morning person. An early bird, if you will.

He liked the silence of a brisk new morning, before the bustle of the city had truly begun. The air, free of the shouts from the night fights, untainted by the honking of horns from the late night traffic. He could exist here, above all else in chill quiet, tea in hand.

So he couldn't say that he wasn't displeased when the doorbell rang for him downstairs. He was still an Enhancer at his core and veiling his emotions was not his strong point. When he opened the door to whoever thought it was a good idea to disturb him this early, he expected to be masking his displeasure. He didn't expect having to conceal surprise.

A man stood on the street, a few rips on his jacket sleeves, an puckering scar on his cheekbone, hair oily and drenched with sweat. On its own, every point about him screamed with red flags. Yet his demeanor didn't seem threatening. He just seemed... tired.

"Uh, hi. Are you..." The man cleared his throat before looking down at his phone for confirmation. "...Wing?"

"Yes..." he replied slowly, still somewhat wary of this panting young man dripping with sweat on his doorstep. "May I help you?"

"I saved your grandmother once," the man rushed out, words hurried as if afraid that the door would shut in his face. "You were at a bakery and while you were in the bathroom, I helped her from choking and I got both your numbers in case you ever wanted to pay me back but yours seemed to be changed so I couldn't find you so I went to your grandmother and got a hold of this address, I'm not creepy, I swear, I just need help right now." He finally took a breath. "Back then, you broke the wall when you attacked me. You know Nen, right? That was some crazy strength. I wasn't sure of why you attacked me then, since I don't look that much like a thief or mugger—" His body tensed, self-conscious. "Wait, do I?"

Wing shook his head no, trying to wrap his mind about it all. The memory certainly wasn't fresh, but... yes, he did remember. It had been a couple of years ago, and he wasn't proud to admit the fact that he had indeed caused damage to the bakery when he suspected his grandmother of being attacked by a Nen-user. Back then, he'd been impulsive and rash to a fault, failing to realize that the man helping his grandmother had good intentions. The nature of the man's Nen had been so bizarre and untamed that he hadn't been able to get a good grasp of the situation. "I do apologize for attacking you. That was my own mistake."

"It's fine. But you know Nen, right? I know it now, so thinking back, you probably attacked me because you could see my destructive aura." Wing nodded in response, allowing the man to continue. "And you seem to know a lot more about this whole thing than I do. I don't have any where else to go for this, so—" The man seemed to debate whether he should bow and settled for an awkward, half-hunched position. "Teach me! Please."

Wing drew up, hands folded neatly behind his back. "I already have a student, and I'll have to consult with him. But for now, you have a yes from me."

"Really?" The man looked ecstatic, but he didn't move. Almost unbelieving. "You'll teach me Nen stuff?" With a short, sweet nod from Wing, the man looked close to exploding with surprised joy. "You're serious? Oh man, yes! Thank you, thank you so much! I wasn't sure where to go if you ended up turning me down," he said, almost sheepish. "I actually didn't have much of a plan if you refused."

Zushi came down the stairs in his pajamas, suppressing yawns. "Master?" he asked, rubbing tired eyes. "Who are you talking to?"

The man's eyes widened at his pupil, surprised at Zushi's young age as a student before his expression set back into one of calmness. "Hey," he called softly, jutting out his slender chin. "I'm Lucky."

As soon as the words left his mouth, the staircase railing came loose under Zushi's hand and clattered booming to the floor.

Zushi's hand flew back, his entire body leaning away from what had just happened. His eyes, squinted against the light earlier, were now as wide as saucers. Wing's carefully folded hands were now clamped and rigid behind his back as he stared at the phenomenon of the sudden unprecedented destruction. Both their gazes shifted towards the man—Lucky—who merely chuckled through clenched teeth.

"Yeah, that... it happens a lot." The lights flickered before going out entirely. "You'll get used to it." 


	35. Departure!

Everything was flowing rather uneventfully, and she liked that. She really did. Everyday was like a shadow of the one before, and this kind of repeated routine helped her to get back on track. She woke up, went through the day, and slept, not much more to it. During the days at Yorknew, her brain had worked over time, numbing, putting up a front, plotting. But here, surrounded by trees lifetimes older than her, that raging river in her mind became more a trickling stream. With her mind silent, she tried to stay like that as much as she could.

The memory still hurt a bit, but not as much as before.

After all that happened, Rein just needed time to exist in quiet, and the Spiders understood that, to a degree. They left her alone when she needed to be, letting her rest up until the Exam. While they explored the island and went on small little missions, she stayed behind, collecting the perfect skipping stones and keeping the best ones in her pocket. The new skirt, that Machi had sewn for her as soon as they'd entered the game, held even deeper pockets than the one she'd lost. She was a bit more careful with her rock selection now, keeping only the best stored in her pockets so she would have more room for future ones. Not one of them came close to being her lucky rock, but she could manage.

Rein came to a stop in the middle of the forest, and tilted up her head to the clouds above, barely peeking through the canopy. Light cascaded down and seeped into the pores of her skin to the tips of her hair, almost an embrace. A kiss goodbye.

She would leave the game soon along with the others, but while the rest would head to try to find Greed Island by themselves to prove Shalnark's theory about the game existing in real life, she'd be making her way for the Hunter Exam.

She hadn't prepared, exactly. She probably should've, but it was too late to start now. After gathering enough leave cards, they were all departing today, and a final, brisk walk along the edge of the leering precipice would be her last for a while.

The waves crashed onto the rough, sponge-like boulders below, breaking into a million pieces and repeating the process over and over again. Salty air filled her lungs as she took a step back to enjoy the view and just... be. Her life would get very loud, noisy, and complicated soon, so she would enjoy this best she could.

As soon as she was about to leave, her eyes caught on a tree. A tree with a leg of lavender cloth dangling from it, and as she drew closer she considered surprising him, but when she could see, it was clear the person in the tree was... eating the tree leaves. Plucking them off along with their twigs and shoving them in his mouth, whole. Crunching bark and everything.

Brown eyes locked with emerald.

Frozen silence.

" _Goodbye_ ," she stated, turning on her heel.

"Wait, no, Rein, come back!" Shalnark called through a mouth of prickly green, frantic to explain. "This is a more toxic genus of Eucalyptus, rarely found anywhere in the world, I was just testing and enhancing my immunity—"

"You're trying to turn that tree into salad, why are you so _weird?!_ "

"Feitan has jumped into literal lava before and you're judging me for training my immune system? Harsh."

"I... touché. But I'm still leaving now. I have to get ready for the Exam."

"Wait, no, I actually have something for you, I'm serious!" Shalnark said, leaning and waving for her to come back his way. He swung down, hanging from the tree branch by his legs as he thrifted through his pocket. "Here. I got it when I went into the nearby town."

She broke her gaze from his upside-down eyes to view the item at hand. "A phone?"

He nodded vigorously, his hanging blond hair bouncing with enthusiasm. "I cleared the data on it already and took the liberty of putting in the basics, so you're good to go! Well, for the most part, at least. You still have to put in your fingerprints and things like that."

"Ah," she said, blinking. Taking a finger, she tentatively tapped at the screen, with no response from the gadget. "So does this need to be charged or...?"

"Oh, no. It's fully charged already, since you're going to be using it from now on. Of course, even if you are at the Exam, you aren't going to be able to contact us anyway if we're inside the game since reception doesn't work here, but I can afford to step out for a day or so just to see how things are going. You can go ahead and explore the phone if you wish."

Rein tapped the phone again lightly, then repeated with a bit more aggression. Her mouth drew into a thin line as she stared at it, unsure of what to do next when the device didn't respond.

Shalnark cocked his head, swinging from the branch as he stared at her curiously. "Do you know how to work a phone?"

Her finger finally landed on the on button, lighting up the screen. She squinted, victorious. "Yes." The screen, untouched for too long, went dark. She tapped, to no avail. "No."

"No? What do you mean, 'no'? How do you not know how to work a phone?"

"I've never had one!"

"But you've used one, right? You've called people and such?"

"That didn't require me to actually _do_ anything!" Rein protested, and almost dropped the phone when her arms were flinging about.

"Hey, careful! I just got it for you, you can't go around breaking it just yet! Okay, turn it on again," he started to instruct. "Press the button again... good job. You should be seeing numbers, and you input your password, which I already made for you. Input 4-1-8-6."

"It's..." Rein pressed the first number before blanking. Her finger hovered above the screen before she dropped her arms. "Why can't it be something easy, like 1-2-3-4?"

"Onetwothree—?!" Shalnark took a sharp breath. "Because," he said slowly, "if you make it too basic and obvious, people can get into your phone."

" _I_ want to get into my phone. You know, when I went off with Gon and Killua, Gon had this really weird phone shaped like a bug. And your phone," she pointed at Shalnark, "Has those weird pointy things at the top. Since they're both kind of animal-ish, are they made by the same company, or does the shape of the phone affect anything?"

"Rein, it's called a case. A phone case."

"So what does it do?"

"Nothing, usually."

"Then what's the point?"

"It..." At the moment, Shalnark was holding in a barrel of emotions and words from spilling out onto Rein. "The case you mentioned first is an exception. That one's a special model with the protective case already built onto it, to serve its practical uses all while making some sort of funny appearance. It's sturdy, waterproof, and will hardly ever break or crack because the case was designed like that. But my phone..." Before he knew it, his hand had wrapped around his own device protectively. "Mine is different. I made this, by myself; case, inner workings, everything. I built the case into it for extra protection, but no, this isn't related to the model your friend had."

"You built this yourself?" Rein swiped his phone, turning so he wouldn't be able to take it back. She dodged both his protests and his hands grappling for his device. "That's so cool! So since it's durable, it won't break when I drop it? What about if I accidentally step on—"

Shalnark pushed off from the tree branch, snatching his phone from her grasp before coming to a crouched halt on the grass a good distance away, shielding it from her view protectively. "No. My phone."

Rein grinned. "I was joking. I wasn't actually going to step on it, I swear, but hypothetically, if I just so happened to drop your phone into the deep, dark ocean, would—"

"Mine. No touch," he practically hissed.

"You sound like Feitan."

He pouted, scrunching up his nose. "Enough about my phone. Back to yours." Shalnark witnessed the light leave her eyes, and he felt very smug at this. "You got me talking, but we still have to set up your phone eventually, whether you like it or not."

"Do I have to?"

Shalnark looked her in the eye. "4-1-8-6," he repeated, and she was finally able to get in this time. "Good job, now go to settings."

"I trust you on this, Shal, one hundred percent, I do." She paused. "And how exactly do I—"

* * *

Two old comrades lazed about side by side with only the breeze gracing the air. They didn't need to speak to understand the other; the silence spoke more often than not. Phinks and Feitan lay with their arms outstretched on the ground, resting for each of their small missions ahead. The clouds passed above.

While staying quiet was comfortable, they'd known each other for so long that breaking it was just as easy, even if it was a comment of little significance.

"That one looks like your eyebrows when you're pissed of," Phinks commented, gesturing at a narrow, wisp of a cloud. "Like when you got bird crap in your hair and spent an hour chasing down the seagull. You didn't clean it up 'cuz you were too stubborn and it was running down your face, not to mention in your mouth."

Feitan scoffed, almost in denial, and after a brief moment jutted out his chin to the sky. "That cloud the size of your brain."

His bare brows drew together. "You better not be talking about that one spot with no clouds or you're going to get some bones broken."

Again, Feitan's silence spoke loudly.

Sitting up, Phinks cracked first his neck, then his knuckles, mouth twisting into a smirk. "Aw man, and here I was having a quiet morning."

Feitan drew up a manipulated hand and held it up casually. Neither of their threats meant anything to the other, and both were aware of this. "Save energy," he sighed. "Fight later when you enter Greed Island by force."

Phinks pounded his fist against his palm. "The opponent better be good, then. I'm getting lousy practicing on these second-rate extras." Blowing out, he leaned back on the heels of his palms, dirt digging into his calloused skin as all tension left his body. As Spiders, there was only so much time when they were able to truly relax. People like Feitan never did, preferring to stay on guard, but Phinks didn't care as much. If he wanted to let loose, he certainly could do so whenever he pleased.

His eye caught on Shizuku, waving to them from just barely over the crest of the hill. Leaving in ten, she informed them, before briskly going off just as quickly as she had appeared.

Even though she was gone, Phinks lifted his head in acknowledgement. 

Just ten minutes, and a whole new chapter would begin. In the time left, he'd just decided to spitball as he always did, but he'd just brought back to light a certain point he'd forgotten. Danchou. They were all starting on fresh pages, but not Chrollo, in spite of those books he so dearly loved. He was stuck helpless and without his power. Would they ever... "When do you think we'll get a Nen exorcist and kick that dumb chain to hell?"

"Missions now, future later."

"Right, right. Murder, Hunter Exam. I get why Rein is going, it's about time she finally did something to test her strength, but still," Phinks looked down at his friend, who refused to meet his eyes. "Why are you going with her?"

A scowl. "Supervision."

"Yeah, like she'll need it. Weren't _you_ the one that said Rein was growing up and that she'd be fine on her own?"

"And what happened?" Feitan prodded, reminding them both of the event that had transpired right after Rein left the base on her own. Uvogin's death. The air chilled and same to a brief standstill, in which even the birds didn't dare to chirp. After a respectful moment of hushed silence for their fallen members, his bristles calmed.

"Or are you going for that Lucky brat? Rein'll keep him in check, besides, if he doesn't show we can just track him down and beat him up."

Feitan quirked an eyebrow.

"His Nen? That why you're going? That brat's aura?" Phinks shrugged. "That'll probably be a problem and'll also paint a target on his back for any Nen user taking the Exam, but who cares? He fails, he fails."

"He fails, he fails Danchou. You forgot about his wish? You tarnish Spider's name." Feitan got up and went off with hands buried deep in his pockets, leaving Phinks behind on the hill. _"Supervision,"_ he enunciated, leaving it at that.

* * *

Once again, the world melted before her, a blur of colors and shapes and sound before it all swiftly fell into place, dropping Rein and the others into the real world, back at their cold base in Yorknew. They all drew up before saying quick parting words, such as 'careful', 'I'll crack open your skull if you don't come back', and 'good luck'.

"Oh, Shal. Here." Rein handed back the phone, putting it in his hold by force when he didn't move to receive it. "I can't use this. You can show me more later, but I'm not going to need it."

"You don't know how to use it, do you." He smiled before ruffling her hair. "You're like an old lady who doesn't know how to use tech," he cooed, obviously trying to ruffle her feathers as well.

Unable to think of a response, she settled for blowing a raspberry with a tint of red to her ears.

And that was all. Most of the Spiders were people of little words, of thinking and taking decisive action. They didn't meander about on something as short and meaningless as a separation. But as soon as Shalnark raised his hand as he and the rest headed for the docks, a sudden void struck Rein in her abdomen. This was goodbye. She would see them again, she knew she would. But...

"Hey!"

All except for Feitan (who was waiting off to the side and silently urging her to get it over with already) came to a halt, turning back.

She tried to make it sound as casual as humanly possible. "Love you!"

Everyone visibly froze aside from Shalnark, who continued to wave and stuttered a loud, "Th-thanks, me too!", and Rein, who upon realizing the awkwardness of blurting this to the majority of the people she'd known her entire life at the same time, tried to shove Feitan out of the room faster.

Saying this to individuals was easy. She could casually wave it off as if nothing had happened, and with little witnesses around, she could jokingly deny it had ever occurred, much to the dismay of the Phantom Troupe's sanity. The only times she'd said it boldly before was when it was on spur of the moment, usually as a comeback to something. Those genuine times? Those were more intimate, briefer, quieter moments between two people. Now, this genuine line had been shouted.

Rein had never been embarrassed by this before. Ever. But a lot had changed. "Love you!" she repeated, trying to own it and not make it awkward when she made an effort to meet each of their gazes as she pushed Feitan out of the room. Her face softened for a brief moment, and she smiled. "See you soon."

While the others headed out for the docks, Rein and Feitan took a beeline route though the backs and the windows for a different destination, where Feitan claimed they would know the location of that year's Hunter Exam immediately.

Walking by one of the rooms, Rein's step faltered, gaze chained and drawing her closer. Her legs moved on their own toward a simple wooden cross propped up in powdered cement, surrounded by trickles of wax that had melted away and pooled down near the base of the mound, withered flowers nearly turning to dust themselves.

"It's..." The sentence didn't need to be finished. She held out her hand, fingers brushing against the rough wood of the cross, going over every single crack and knot. Her eyes caught on the bracelet she'd woven that day, and stared at them simultaneously, both the mound and the color in her jumbled mess of strings that meant so much.

She lowered her head, but after a few moments she pushed herself to her feet. "Come on. Let's go." It was no use talking to Feitan about this.

With a shrug from the Spider, they did exactly as she suggested.

Feitan's information site had worked, giving them multiple tips and multiple codes or actions to be accepted. A bit shady, run-down, she wondered if she could actually trust the information being given to them, but as they were making their way for the Exam site, the number of people walking with pride in their step and a determination set deep in their eyes increased significantly. Trios, couples, individuals, all bearing the same look with their destinations one and the same. No doubt they'd been correct in coming here, with the same goal in mind.

"Looks like there are a lot of Exam takers this year," she commented.

He looked around once before coming to the conclusion: "They'll all fail. All."

Though it was harsh, she supposed it was reality. "What about me?" she asked, stepping in front of him.

He ignored her and pushed past her shoulder as he walked on, considering her question. "Maybe. You better."

"Yeah, I hope so too," she said, airheaded. She almost tapped her heels on the cobblestone, an excited fluttering stomach spreading her expectations in a grin across her face.

Cobblestones became smooth concrete as they headed into the heart of the city, bustling with life, lights, and car engines. So many people. She'd never seen this many in the same place before, even topping her time at Yorknew City. The mafia could not compare to the civilians going about their everyday lives.

"It's so... big." And she felt so small.

Noticing she'd ceased her walking, Feitan finally took a hand out of his pocket to drag her along. "It's the city."

"Yeah, but it's just so different from the nighttime, you know? But peaceful at the same time too, I think."

He rolled his eyes, shaking his head as if he couldn't believe what she was saying. "You expect to pass with that state of mind?"

"Not all of us think about murder most of our waking hours like you do, Fei—"

An eye.

Feitan noticed as soon as the gaze on them started. His outer shell didn't change, but inside, a flick switched, ever the attentive Spider. He didn't let down his guard for the slightest moment, instead heightening it all the way till they reached the department store where the year's Hunter Exam was being held.

"Go inside," he instructed coldly, turning away from her meaningless talk. "You know password, right?"

"Uh, yeah." She hesitated at this sudden development, but gave a quick wave as she headed into the building. "Come in soon, okay?"

Feitan waited a few moments after she'd left, letting it all sink in. He cracked his neck, rubbing its base to relieve tension. As soon as he was done, he locked gazes with the man in the alley, tense.

Before he could escape, Feitan was there, pinning him to the ground with the man's arm twisted painfully behind his back. It was all too easy. The man attempted to squirm out of his grasp, crying out. Idiot. It would take a lot to break Feitan. Almost baring teeth as he spoke, Feitan twisted the man's skin harder, stretching and bruising the area permanently. And if he didn't tell him what was going on, he would be suffering a worse fate than some mere shattered limb.

"Answer with truth or else. Why were you tailing us?"

* * *

Blissfully unaware of what was going on outside, Rein tramped through the mall while trying to avoid crashing into anybody. The weight of the few pebbles in her skirt did nothing to slow her as she made her way, pumping her legs up the escalators to the fifth floor. She procrastinated her way to the shop she had to go to, but eventually made her way there and approached the attendant.

"What can I get for you today?"

Rein said her next words knowingly. "The vest with rhinestones on the base of the fur trim, please. From the cloud deer."

"Right this way, please."

The attendant led her to a hidden elevator, leading below ground level and opening up to a well-lit room already crowded with people. They all moved about freely, but the air was hot and suffocating, and each man only so much space for himself. Handed a number plate, she pinned it on her shirt.

She combed the room for Feitan, wondering if he'd made it on time or whether he'd accidentally killed an examiner and had been disqualified. It had happened to Hisoka before, it could happen to any of them.

Amidst the strangers and their toned, intense gazes, Rein was almost overjoyed when she spotted a familiar man with mussed raven hair, and the bracelets she saw on his wrist when he lifted his hand in an attempt to tame the tangled mess on his head only confirmed her suspicions. Weaving through the crowd, she tried to call his name. "Luck–!"

"Thank you for coming!" a voice boomed, interrupting her with a slam of metal against metal. This was most likely the examiner for the first phase.

They crowd instinctively turned, attentive to his next instructions. Rein had to tip toe and push her way through the crowd to see him. She could always catch Lucky later, once the first few hundred had been weeded out. There were just so many people this year, she couldn't even see the end of the hall. There were tall people, and short, overwhelmingly male with a handful of female, stocky, lean, bright colors with dull ones.

And out of the corner of her eye, Rein caught a glimpse of a head of pure fluffy white. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> new arc, old characters.
> 
> *looks at chapter title and starts to sing* Daichi wo fumishimete-


	36. Phase One

Killua listened closely as the examiner declared his instructions.

"This year, 1,493 applicants have made it through this far, but the second phase examiner has asked me to trim that number to about 300. As for the exam defeat five people in two hours," the examiner announced, throwing up his fingers flashing with polished silver rings. The crowd visibly stiffened at his words, ready to fight and already planning ahead. "When you defeat them, grab their badges. When you have all five, bring them to me."

In the middle of the sea of heads, a hand was raised.

"Uh, yes?"

"Going with that logic, wouldn't it make more sense for each person to defeat four people?" a man inquired, lowering his hand like a former scholar trying to break out of the habit.

"I think you're mistaken," the examiner chided, tutting and shaking a head of lime green at the man with unkept hair, their opposing fashion senses clashing almost as much as their ability to estimate did. "I quickly did the math beforehand—"

"And that math was wrong," the young man insisted, rather unknowing as how to go about this. "There are 1,493 applicants, so if each five people defeated has one extra person as the victor, that's six. If it's one person out of every six, we would have a number closer to two fifty than if we did one person out of every five, which would give us... like, two hunted ninety something?"

"But—"

"And given the fact that the badges aren't going to be spread out evenly among the last ones standing, that'll probably cut down the number by, I don't know, a dozen-ish?"

The examiner kept his mouth shut this time around.

"O-of course, you don't have to listen to me at all, 'cuz that's, like, you know, perfectly fine," the disheveled man muttered, looking almost embarrassed at correcting someone but attempting to stay calm.

"Um, yes. Thank you for that, uh, applicant number 777." The examiner's charisma and flashy personality came back as he corrected: "Defeat _four_ people and give me their badges! I'll be on the other side of the door. As soon as I close it, it's a _start_ for you."

All too quickly, the door shut. There was no warning nor dramatic countdown signalling the start of the Exam, just the soft click of a lock and the heightened anticipation lingering in the air, relishing the peace of the moment before the violence began. The others used this mutual hesitation to paint targets on other people's backs. But Killua already knew.

Cracking his knuckles, his blue eyes glinted as the room started to stir.

He was going after everyone.

The fighting began. Left and right, people attacked their neighbors with their fists or whatever weapon they had brought along, determined to fare better than their previous attempts. There was shouting, grunting, the thud of bodies hitting the ground and the rip of fabric as the badges were torn from their owners. But they were slow.

Amidst it all was Killua, flashing by with a crackle of lighting to his fingertips, knocking down the exam takers one by one with a sharp hit. Defeat them all now. He would collect their badges later. He moved through the air, undisturbed and stringing along the circumstances himself, barely even having to ready himself for the next attack after hitting an opponent.

He was a puppeteer, and this was his stage. His mind was the master and his body would execute swiftly, so fast that the spotlight wouldn't be able to keep up with him. No one here would even come close to rivaling him, the training he'd gone through with Bisky would make sure of that.

But mid-strike, Killua's body hit the opposite wall, teeth snapping against his tongue as the surface cracked by the force he'd been thrown into it. Bloody iron bit at his taste buds and for a while, he struggled to take in his breath, lungs feeling almost crushed.

His entire body felt the repercussions of the impact, pain thrumming through his veins to every corner of his body. He managed to crack a smile, cursing himself for his brief moment of drunken arrogance.

He'd been so confident that he would be the most talented person there. To think there was someone still above his level here. Killua had, for certain, grown stronger. Just a year earlier and that attack would have crippled him, if not killed him outright. Whoever was this strong. 

Blinking away swirling black dots in his vision, he stood up. He could handle pain, it was nothing new. Killua might as well take the exam and figure out who they were. He wouldn't be able to beat them anyways.

Whoever had attacked him had also swiped his badge in the process. No matter. The examiner didn't say you had to have your own badge in order to pass, did he? The world swayed for a bit before he forced his knees to lock, keeping himself steady. His eyes blinked back the gloss as he scanned the area for the people he'd knocked out, and if any of them had had their badges already taken from them.

Someone tried to slink past him, attempting to go unnoticed by everyone else at the site.

"Oh!" Killua exclaimed suddenly, voice loud enough to catch the attention of the man passing in front of him. Overcoming the surprise, he dropped his shoulders welcomingly. "Hey, old man, you're here too?" he asked, putting his words lightly and rather pleased despite the wording. He smiled at Zepile.

"Killua!" Zepile tried to smile back, but it came out a grimace.

His grin twisted into a frown. "You're hurt," he accused. "Why are you hurt?"

Zepile shielded his right arm, slipping his sleeve over it protectively. "It's nothing. I was... I was just being dumb today. Although with this injured arm, I'm not sure if I'll be able to pass the first phase, let alone to entire Exam. I thought I could do it, but I should probably just retake it next year."

"Huh." Killua didn't buy Zepile's excuse one bit. When a man charged at them with a raised sword, Killua stepped back and calmly landed a clean hit to the side of his neck, sending a surge of electricity through for good measure. "It's amazing you've managed to make it an entire minute without being attacked yourself, especially with that injury," he commented, ripping off the number plate as his victim fell. He tossed it to Zepile. "Here you go."

Zepile gaped at his sheer speed. The badge hit his forehead before he blindly fumbled for it, still in shock.

"I've already knocked out about..." He stopped to count. "...fifty people since the beginning of the exam. I can share, I don't need 'em all anyway."

"I, uh, yeah, sure."

They collected the badges they needed and made their way to the other room quickly. At five minutes in, they were the first applicants to see the examiner. With a brief explanation, Killua tossed a chain of plates at him while Zepile handed his badges over respectfully. After an over the top declaration of their success: "Applicant numbers 1100 and 1219, _pass!"_ , they sat down next to each other on the steps behind the examiner.

Killua stared at Zepile with a raised eyebrow, the man positively melting under his scrutinizing gaze. "What happened to your arm?" he asked again, this time more forcefully. He tried to steal a look at the reddened area, scowling when Zepile turned away to cover his view. However, he'd gotten a good enough glance, and the crimson crescent indents were a dead giveaway as to what was truly to blame for his injury. He'd been attacked by someone.

But Zepile seemed hesitant to admit it. More people entered, passing the exam, and the examiner's enthusiastic voice increased in volume with each applicant, but it was all background noise. Right now, time, color, and sound didn't matter. Only the sense of touch was left standing, and they could clearly feel the rippling tension drifting amid the wafts of cigarette smoke.

Finally cracking under the pressure from him, Zepile rolled up his sleeve, sighing with contentment as fresh air flowed over the inflamed area. Injury able to breathe now, he cradled his arm gently. "I wasn't lying. I _was_ being dumb. Guess stalking someone doesn't look too good, huh?"

"Who are you, Leorio?"

Zepile accepted the invitation to a calmer conversation and snickered for a bit before quieting. "What happened was all my fault, but... I saw her, you know."

"Saw who?"

The examiner leapt up and stuck a finger in the face of whichever poor person had just walked in, shouting, "Applicant number 1201, _pass!"_

The person jolted back, alarmed. She had to lean away and swivel around to enter the room without nearing the crazed Hunter, bouncing on the balls of her feet as she came to a halt. Her light hair which seemed grayer surrounded by dull walls flounced in an impossibly fixed shape when she stood, black t-shirt clashing against a bright skirt whose pockets seemed filled to the brim. She observed the people with a mix of curiosity and satisfaction, but when her look met Killua's, both pairs of eyes involved went through a brief moment of mutual panic.

Killua tampered down the feeling, instead asking Zepile for clarification: "Rein?"

"Yeah." On seeing the girl in the room, Zepile waved her over. After he'd worked with Kurapika and Melody to get Gon and the others back from the Spiders, he'd heard their side of the story, how Rein had betrayed them. Crying Rein, loyal to the Phantom Troupe. He didn't agree with her actions, but he wasn't mad. He was a reformed scammer himself, who was he to judge? Zepile was one to look at the inner person, and he believed Rein was a nice girl.

He understood the value of second chances. He wasn't going to deprive someone of it. So while he called her over to them, he smiled, trying to let her know of that chance.

Her mouth froze open as she slowly made her way toward them, swinging her arms as if not knowing what to do with them. "...Hey, guys..." she said so smoothly it was almost comical. Though the conflicted look on her face soon vanished when she caught sight of Zepile, now truly concerned. "What happened to your arm?"

"Yeah, well, funny story—"

"You can say that?" Killua asked, interrupting. "After what you did in Yorknew, you think you can just come in and say that?" His words stung, he knew. But no matter how hostile his words came across as, he didn't hate Rein. He wasn't one to hold a grudge. He didn't like her, but he certainly didn't _dis_ like her; she was instead floating around in a confusing gray area. Sure, she'd betrayed Gon and himself into the hands of the Spiders, the people Kurapika despised. She'd shot Leorio and caused him pain, even if she'd sworn over and over that it was an accident. She'd endangered their lives. She'd lied to them, manipulated them, and misused their trust for the entirety of a day, but she had reasons for that, reasons Killua wasn't about to blame her for.

Because in her eyes, Kurapika was her villain. To her, the others were just nice people she'd met along the road to achieving her revenge, which, in the end, she seemed to have let go of. None of those reasons reversed what she had done, but Killua didn't hold her solely accountable for them. In her point of view, it wasn't betrayal, it was serving the Spiders, who must have been as close to her as Killua was to his own friends. She'd only kept her priorities straight from behind enemy lines.

The world was far from black and white, and Killua was well aware of this fact. Villains were not always evil, and heroes were not always righteous.

But for his own sake, and for his friends', he just wanted a simple apology.

Unfortunately, the examiner's shouts interrupted once more. "Applicant numbers 776 and 777, _pass!"_

The pair who'd walked in caught sight of them and Rein seemed to recognize the taller one, waving him over as well. Killua identified him as the one who had spoken up to adjust the math behind the phase. He struck up a conversation with her and Zepile: 'how're you doing' and 'dude, what happened to your arm'.

But he ignored it all. Killua's interest was in the shorter boy standing dutifully at his side.

"Killua!"

Surprise and joy played at his lips. "Zushi, you here too?"

The boy nodded, clenching his fists. "Osu!" Only a few months had passed since he and Gon had left behind Heaven's Arena. Zushi's eyes were darker from when he'd seen them last, a chocolaty brown compared to the deep amber from before. His stance was better, his shoulders set and sturdy, and he'd certainly grown taller. Still, mere months had passed, and Zushi was still only a boy.

"The heads of the Hunter association rarely accept application forms unless you're twelve or older. How did you get in?"

Like he'd rehearsed, Zushi responded, "Lucky-san has many connections."

"Sure do." The tall one leaned over, breaking his own conversation to sling an arm around Zushi's shoulders. The man's tousled hair stuck up in clumps, and upon closer inspection, Killua could pick out the rips in his jacket, a small sliver of a scar on his cheek, and most of all his eyes. Drooping and judging from the blue-black clinging onto them, tired.

Oh.

"What?" he asked, noticing the shift in Killua.

He remembered now, why that tired gaze looked so familiar. "You're that guy, on the airship with Rein and the Spider." The Yorknew gang was just getting back together, wasn't it. He looked like he was trying very hard to remember and coming up empty, but Killua was sure that he was the person. The other captive who had unfortunately been unable to be released along with himself, Gon, and Leorio. First Zepile, then Rein, then this man who'd crashed their first airship. Might as well wish for Kurapika or the Phantom Troupe while they were at it.

"Applicant number 1439, _pass!"_

Killua blinked at the figure that had just entered. Their eyes locked, and it took every muscle in his body to avoid the urge to run away just as he had last time. "Why is _he_ here?" He made a mental note to be careful what he wished for.

Rein waved at the person before cocking her head. "Feitan, is that blood?"

The Spider glanced at the cuff of his sleeve, dripping, before casually ripping it off and throwing it back into the room of still battling people. With a torn sleeve and the drips of red still lingering on the cement that had tracked his path, he answered: "No."

"Hold up, hold up," Killua interjected. "Rein, _why_ is _he_ here?"

"Oh, he's with me."

"Yeah, but—!"

Separately, Zepile was also slightly panicking. He cradled his still throbbing arm closer to his chest, trying his best to inch away from the Spider.

Feitan's gaze slid over to him, causing him to almost seize up in nervousness. The Spider blinked. "Nice arm."

"...Thanks," Zepile deadpanned back.

Shrugging, he looked elsewhere, already bored. Lucky settled down for a nap, Killua continued to shout the repeated questions at Rein, and Rein tried to follow along with Killua's logic, even more confused herself as to why he was so uncomfortable with being within Feitan's line of sight.

"The Exam phase has now ended!" the examiner shouted abruptly to cut them off, shutting the door and locking it tight. "I will now be taking you to the next pha-"

A loud pounding came at the door, and Killua shook his head, feeling bad for who ever had the unfortunate luck to finally collect what they needed right when the door had closed. He'd seen the light leave their eyes the last Hunter Exam. Dreams were crushed, lives were lost in a feeble attempt to pass, hope was baited in front of their eyes and wrenched away, never to be seen again. But that was the reality.

Yes, Killua felt a twinge of pity for whoever was desperately pounding at the door until the door fell off its hinges and the person stumbled in, revealing a face with only malicious intent. Killua didn't have a grudge against Rein, but this person could go die and Killua would actually be pleased. In fact, he'd have little qualms with committing the crime himself.

"You said we had until noon," Tonpa asserted, panting. He tapped at his watch, a confident grin on his face as the second clock ticked to the twelve. "I'm on time."

The examiner but his lip. He clearly wasn't one who was used to being corrected, and twice in one day may have been the melodramatic man's limit. "I, er, well then, this, uh..." He miserable, but quickly covered it up. "Applicant number 36, _pass!"_

Tonpa smirked.

"You got lucky, huh?" Rein asked Tonpa, quirking up her features as if they were old pals. Idiot. She didn't _know_.

"Oh," Killua growled, "far from it." When Tonpa caught sight of Killua, he jumped back, and Killua felt satisfaction at this fact. While being on the same continent as this man was far from the definition of a good time, he supposed striking fear into his heart would brighten the coming days. Killua masked it all with a warm expression so the others wouldn't catch on, but thin enough that Tonpa would see and fear. Perhaps the others would even assist him in taking down this rookie crusher.

'The others', huh? Killua sighed, turning for a glimpse of every single one of them before they were led off to the next phase. Even though he was wary of Feitan, he supposed that subconsciously, he was already thinking of them as a group.

A Zoldyck, a failed applicant from the last Hunter Exam. A passionate auctioneer, who was also a former fraudster. A Kurta survivor whom Killua wasn't sure where to place on his 'allies and enemies' spectrum yet. An earnest young boy, studying the the Nen technique at the famed Heaven's Arena. Someone capable of toppling airships from the sky but was suited for absolutely nothing else. And a small Spider, whose agility and speed Killua strived for.

He doubted this Exam would be as great as last year's—nothing would top the treasured friends he had come to know—but things would certainly be very interesting this time around.

* * *  
  


_276 applicants have made it through the first phase of the Hunter Exam._


	37. Phase Two And Three

After recording the passing applicants and taking a head count, the examiner started to lead the entire group up the narrow, cramped stairs; a trek to the surface. The examiner informed them of a trail they would take to reach the seaside, where the next exam would take place.

They would all make it to the second phase, that is, if nobody suffocated and was trampled to death on the staircase. It was tight, extraordinarily so, and people were shoving and pushing in their fight to the top, not caring about what they did to the others surrounding them.

But Feitan was above these people. He sped ahead of the tramping crowd, first to reach the top of the staircase. The white-haired brat followed not much later, to his surprise. Meeting gazes, the boy warily inched away from the Spider, while Feitan ignored him. Since they'd last met, the brat had improved on his speed. A Hatsu, perhaps? Either way, it would take much longer for any of the other applicants to arrive, given the mass of people and the tight space they'd been given to move. He generously estimated at least ten minutes before anybody else—

 _"I win."_ Rein stuck her finger in Lucky's face. _"Losers!"_

"Red, calm down, it's just a staircase."

Feitan stared at the two he'd come to supervise before looking away. Perhaps they would do better than what he expected of them, though granted, he'd set the expectation low. And to anybody who would dare ask, no, he wasn't holding back a grin because these two were ahead of the other applicants. He wasn't biting in the corners of his mouth because he _knew_ those two. And their little success here certainly wasn't inflaming a strange feeling in him to root them on. He was not undergoing a sense of pride. No, of course not, Feitan was not doing any of those things whatsoever, and anyone who suggested otherwise could go die.

"Hey!" Rein caught sight of him and dragged Lucky over, who was panting. When they arrived, there was another person to their party, a small boy with a controlled stance and firm eyebrows. "Fei, you were first?"

Of course he was, that was obvious. He tipped his head over to the white-haired boy from Yorknew. "You slow. He came before you did. Do better."

Rein's lips drew tight. She must have thought she'd been doing pretty good, and even though Lucky was already panting, Feitan observed that his endurance and overall tolerance for all things that required physical activity had grown significantly. But Feitan was a harsh judge. His lack of compliments was nothing out of the ordinary.

"You want to go with us to the next phase? You can give us pointers and such if we're really doing that horribly, as you claim," she baited.

He gave a silent grunt before casting his cooled gaze elsewhere. "Here for supervision. You pass Exam yourself." He started to walk off, determined to make sure this would be the last she saw of him until the Hunter Exam ended. "They're all weak," he assured, confident.

He'd thought he'd left them behind, but a voice called to him, unusually small.

"F...Feitan!"

He tossed a look over his shoulder.

Sucking in a breath, Rein slapped on a huge and sort of lopsided smile onto her ridiculous face, and threw a thumbs up before shouting, "Love you too, Fei!" She pulled the two boys at her side away into the crowd that was just emerging from the staircase, calling a final: "Good luck!"

Feitan had paused mid-step.

He scoffed before moving on.

Like _he_ would need luck. There wasn't any such thing. In the world, there was only wit, gut, and skill, and Feitan was of high standing in all of them. It was blatantly clear he would pass, regardless of whatever meaningless words were spoken or not. Blathering was useless and words often caused more trouble than they were worth, so Feitan thought nothing of it, really.

Really.

...

 _Love you too._ What did that mean?

* * *

The examiner for the first phase led them to the seaside, exchanging quick words with a woman who Rein guessed was their next examiner. He handed over a list of the applicants with a dramatic flare before taking his leave. As the woman flipped through the list for a quick rechecking of the numbers, Rein could see much of the list had been blotted out with red ink, violently scribbling out any names of failed examinees.

The woman stood proudly on the dock, hands at her wide hips as she looked out over the crowd. The lightness of her hair contradicted her dark skin tone, made only darker by years on the ocean. “Your next test is a treasure hunt,” she announced. She gestured out towards the lagoon. "The rules are simple. Get a gold coin and bring it to me, you pass! After I've logged it, you may enter the small hotel over there. Choose any room of your liking and wait there for the next exam phase to come down. You have until nightfall."

The Hunter Exam was notoriously famous for killing off or forever scarring most of its applicants, so while unchallenging tests seemed unfitting and were often made fun of, they were hardly ever rejected outright. Left and right, people started to take off their shoes and roll up their cuffs for a dip into the water. Storming onto the old wooden dock, people jumped into the water, already starting to search.

Rein yanked off her skirt to reveal a set of biker shorts underneath. She kicked off her shoes carelessly before jumping into the water, splashing at the two boys. "Seems easy enough.”

"Yes, but..." The younger boy stood by with arms crossed, not moving to take off his white uniform. "My master made clear before I departed that the Hunter Exam is challenging. I don't think she lied, but it feels like there's something more."

His eyes were a hazel bordering on amber-like gold, his thick wiry eyebrows hanging curiously over them as he stood in intense thought. Freckles of all sizes were splattered all over his warm brown skin, and waves of fervent concentration rolled off him so eagerly she could almost smell it. His close cut hair which seemed extraordinarily soft up close gave off a crispy heated vibe, and...

To be quite honest, Rein thought he looked exactly like a slice of toast.

Lucky smiled, patting the boy on the shoulder. "Let's just go, 'kay, Freckles?"

"Osu!"

"Do you need help taking off your uniform?" he asked, offering a hand.

He leaned back away from Lucky's outstretched arms, offended. "Lucky-san, I can do this myself! I am turning ten in a month."

"Nine? That means you're younger than me," Rein said as the two eased into the water. She stood tall, comparing her height to the boy's. She was a good half-head taller. "A bit late, but my name's Rein. Like the things you use on a horse."

"I'm Zushi."

The name rattled around her head, sounding familiar. Rein waved off the sense of foreshadowing. Besides, at least she didn't have to degrade him to a food product now. "How do you know Lucky?"

They waded through the sea water, arguing and telling wildly differing accounts of what had happened. The three headed down the shore, avoiding the areas already crowded with applicants frantically searching for a single coin so they could get rest as soon as possible.

The area the examiner had chosen was a lagoon encased with a rich coral reef, tide pools dotting the overlap between sea and land as they continued farther from the dock. From the surface, it was hard to tell with the glare of the sun, but once you ducked your head underwater the still lagoon became alive with green parrotfish and shells of different shapes and coral so colorful and vast it looked like the sunset. The sun was still hanging high in the sky, so the three took their time as they searched for their coins.

* * *

It was in the dead of the night when the announcement was made.

A voice played over the loudspeakers embedded in every room in the hotel, jolting everyone from their peaceful sleep. Outside and barefoot in the dewy grass, a woman was all but shouting into a megaphone, excited for the events ahead.

"Welcome to the hidden third phase!" their examiner exclaimed as Nen-inforced walls came down on all of the exits, effectively trapping all of the applicants inside. "Your real challenge? Escape the building in time. It's simple, really! Use the resources you have and work together to find the exit, which I’ve hidden in a little code. Not every exit ends with keeping your life, but staying in there doesn’t mean you’re safe either."

She smiled dangerously.

“Let's get started, shall we?"

By the time the announcement abruptly cut off, nearly everyone had run out of their rooms and into the hallway, confused and still dazed, perhaps a bit jarred from the suddenness.

Sighing, Killua swung out of bed. To think he thought he'd finally be getting a good night's sleep, away from that old blond hag. True, the Hunter Exam was a breeze so far and a relatively relaxing break from the grueling training at Greed Island, but the Exam wasn't looking up to be as relaxing as he'd hoped it would be. For one, there was Tonpa. For another, there was that _Spider_. Killua swore he'd be the strongest one there, and if it weren't for that short, angry man, it would've stayed that way. Not to mention that it was because of that Spider that his plans to beat down Tonpa in the first phase had gone down the drain. Now he was stuck with the Rookie Crusher until he dropped out of the running.

Still, better than training with that fake grandma. He finally felt his muscles starting to tighten in peace instead of aching twenty-four-seven. Out in the crowded hallway, he looked for anyone he knew. "Hey, old man." Killua trotted over to Zepile.

"Oh, Killua." He waved, still flinching when a sudden burst of pain spread through his arm.

"You should bandage that up. You're clearly not used to injury, plus that's looking pretty nasty," Killua remarked, eyeing the skin colored all unsightly shades of the rainbow. There was some serious abrasion and swelling.

Zepile attempted to play it off. "Yeah, I keep getting some weird looks for it too. So, you have any idea what we need to do?" he asked, tilting his head at one of the steel-shut windows.

The steel shutter seemed easy enough to break. But to test, he activated Gyo and drove Ren to his hand, pressing up against the barrier. But where his aura met with the wall, a bit more aura was being expelled back. So much for breaking out by force.

Ryu: redistribution of one's aura. He suspected the examiner's Hatsu used the concept of Ryu to discharge as much aura as needed in the area of attack. Which meant that no matter how brittle these walls actually were, no one would be able to break out of them, because the moment they touched it as the spot they made contact with would instantly become strong enough to repel them easily.

"We can't escape through the normal exits. It's impossible. I guess the only option is to listen to whatever the examiner's instructions were and to follow accordingly." He was about to continue when he felt a hesitant tap at his shoulder.

"H-Hey, Killua..." Zepile broke off, looking tensely at the ceiling. "Don't you think this hallway is getting smaller?"

It was subtle, but the creaks were there. There was the moaning of walls and the screaming of rusty metal under too much strain, begging to be freed. Killua swallowed, taking a step back and forcing Zepile to retreat with him.

All of a sudden one of the wooden doors finally snapped into brittle pieces under the pressure, as if nothing more than a toothpick. After that, everything else followed, crashing down in rapid succession.

"Run!" someone shouted, only for his warning to be cut off in a mangled gurgle as he was crushed by the falling debris. He didn't have to be alive for everyone to heed his warning and flee as far from the collapsing hotel wing.

Killua was already far ahead and in a safe enough spot, but he was quick and strong. He knew how to use Nen and how to properly protect himself. But Zepile was average and slow, already falling behind and dangerously close to the destruction tailing him. Killua didn't mind if the man didn't pass, but he certainly didn't want him to die. He'd grown rather fond of the auctioneer.

The moment a chunk of plaster fell and struck Zepile on the head, knocking him down, Killua's breathing hitched. A mere instant for everything else to come down and Zepile would die. His senses worked in overtime, flooding his brain to the point of fever and making it seem as if the debris was falling in slow motion. He couldn't let this happen, but Killua's feet were rooted in place as he stared at the rubble toppling right over the auctioneer.

He found it in himself to sprint forward a single bound, but the terror in both of their eyes was too real. The boy was heading toward the destruction and the man was in it, and the former would not reach his friend in time by any human standards.

Zepile would die.

* * *

The explosion happened first, and the remaining applicants watched in a mixture of shock, awe, and horror as the place they'd been sleeping peacefully in less than a minute before went up in flaming ruins. Any sight of bodies was cleanly buried mind a few limbs amidst the wreckage, the closest one being a battered arm.

All too soon their vision was cut off by a new wall, and once again they were trapped.

Lucky's clothes were still a bit damp from the ocean, and now they were mostly burnt, not to mention his hair was an absolute abomination from the explosion. The only thing he could utter was a loud: "Okay, that was _not_ me", which earned them glares from other applicants as another announcement echoed its way through the hotel.

_"Y'all understand now? No dawdling, or it's your end! Oh, if only there was a place to find out more information instead of me telling you over the speakers! Cough cough, main dining hall—"_

The speakers crackled off, and Lucky blinked. "Did she just say 'cough cough' out loud?"

"Well you heard the lady!" a clear voice shouted, rising above the muttering in the room to stand on top as a self-appointed leader. "All head for the main dining hall, and move it!" Unbelievably, the crowd complied and started to shuffle down the remaining hallways, as if the owner of the voice was used to getting others to bend to his will.

"Wait, where's Zushi?" Rein whipped around, but there was no sign of the boy.

Lucky's eyes went wide, remembering the destruction, the fire, and the bodies covered from its aftermath. "Crap."

With a nod at the other, they split up immediately. In the chaos and without time to check if they were all safe, they had been separated. Zushi knew how to use Nen, but he was still only learning. He was still a young boy, agile and nimble. But no matter how fast you happened to be, if your legs were short, it was almost meaningless.

Moving against the current of people was difficult, and as Rein’s eyes swam for any sign of him, be it a white uniform or short hair, she found herself being pushed back. Eventually, she finally broke free of the crowd, but there was still no sign of him. She bit her lip and hoped Lucky had found him. Rein turned to leave with the group before the room could cave on her, when her eyes caught on a figure slumped on the ground.

She rushed over. A good part of his clothes were burned black and the overwhelming smell of smoke stuck to it like aura. A few burns scattered his skin, but Rein wasn't skilled or knowledgeable enough to tell whether it was light or serious. Under the grime, it was difficult to even see the injuries. His hair was nearly black from the explosion, be it singed or ash or soot, but when she brushed at it, the inner layers came out a pure white.

"Killua." She tapped at his shoulder. "Hey, Killua, you okay?"

He remained still, and when she tried to prop him up, Killua drooped like a tattered doll. He wasn't responding.

Holding her breath, she reached out for his neck. Even though they weren't nearly friends, she couldn't describe the feeling of relief she felt when she got back a pulse. She attempted to shake him awake, but he was out cold. She had to get him out of the room, at least. If he stayed there, chances were something similar to what had just occurred would happen again.

"Come on," she grunted softly as she eased his unconscious body onto her back. He was heavier than her and the balance was off, but she could manage. Careful not to tip him off, she followed after the crowd as quickly as she could.

* * *

  
_Number of applicants who have passed the third exam: yet to be determined._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> third phase modeled after the extra phase from 1999 (There was a MOMENT for Pokkle and Ponzu during it and ihdhbdjhbdj... I miss them)


	38. Nothing More

"Ze..." His lips were dry when he finally cracked his eyes open.

"You shouldn't be moving," someone instructed, still only a blurry shadow to his ash-stricken gaze. "You've been in an explosion."

"I know _that,_ " Killua grumbled, and completely ignoring whoever was ordering him around, rubbed at his stinging eyes. "I feel perfectly fine," he asserted, and peered down for a self-evaluation. He was dirty, covered in black from the fire and the blast from before. It was only an explosion. Killua knew he should have gotten out of that unscathed, much less knocked unconscious. As the last moments trickled back to the front of his mind, he looked to his caretaker. It was Lucky, and next to him was Rein. Brushing aside the man's concerns, he sat up. "Do you know if Zepile is here?"

"You really shouldn't move—"

He looked down at himself again. "And why am I shirtless?" Indeed he was. Whatever had been left on the upper half of his body had been carefully peeled away and set on an unappealing heap on the ground.

"Your clothes were practically out of commission after what happened, and you need to avoid infection."

"First off, this isn't even considered damage in my point of view. I'm fine, and I don't need medical attention. Second," Killua cast a glance towards Lucky. "If _my_ burned clothes were out of commission, what does that make yours?"

On top of being wet from earlier when his outfit had been dumped into the lagoon, the dry parts were now singed or burned off entirely, and ash stuck to the damp splotches. White swirled with brown and black and came to a rather unsettling and nauseating color. In short, his clothes were a strange mix of squelchy, smoky, and burned; overall unsuitable to wear.

"Fair point." Pretty soon, Lucky's top half was bare as well, shirt and jacket heaped next to Killua's. "But that doesn't change the fact that you should care for your burns, no matter how minimal—"

Back from the kitchen, Zushi dutifully dumped a bucket of water onto Killua's head.

While Zushi seemed entirely satisfied and confident in what he'd done, they all seemed frozen. Gritting his teeth, Killua started to wipe at his wet face, brushing his drenched hair out of his line of sight. "Thanks."

"Oh." Zushi turned to Lucky. "Was I not supposed to do that?"

"I'm fine," Killua reiterated. "I'm not hurt, and I'm not accepting medical aid."

Rein shook out the stray water droplets from her hair, and opened up her arms to show the white wrappings she'd kept away from the splash. "I stole these bandages for nothing?"

Lucky raised an eyebrow. "You said you traded for them."

She stayed silent.

"Rein," he warned, "where did you get tho-"

"Hey, look, it's Zepile!" Rein exclaimed, jumping up to greet the man quickly. Essentially, she was running away.

It was him. As soon as he'd confirmed this fact, Killua smiled and bent over to rub the water to the base of his scalp, washing away the grime so his hair would be its normal ivory again. Zepile was alive. Killua was happy for that, but he didn't understand how. He'd seen the moment the man had become buried under the collapsing wing. As much as it wasn't so and as much as he didn't want it to happen, Zepile should have been long dead, if not fatally wounded or forever crippled.

Brushing back his damp hair that was already starting to fluff up, he stood to greet them as Rein dragged him over. "Hey." Killua searched for any sign of further injury, but other than the arm that was already hurt, Zepile seemed intact. He shrugged warmly. "Made it out, huh?"

"Yeah, uh, somehow." His face appeared muddled and memory hazy for a bit, but he covered it up so as to not worry anyone. "I feel pretty okay—"

"Your arm!" Zushi dropped the emptied bucket and reached out to inspect Zepile's swollen arm, lips twisting into a pinched frown when the man flinched at his touch. "You have to tend to your injury."

Zepile laughed. "I'm fine, kid, really. Besides, it's not like there are medical supplies lying around here."

Everyone whipped around to stare Rein in the eye. After a moment of confusion, she brightened up and handed over the roll of bandages over to Lucky. Sighing, he began to bind the man's arm, wrapping the clean parts firmly around Zepile's skin and sending an accusing look towards Rein when a suspicious-looking splotch appeared on the otherwise clean bandages. Zushi hovered around the man as Lucky patched him up, constantly asking if it hurt and if he was alright and more.

"Thanks for your concern, Zushi," Killua snorted from the sidelines. "I'm injured too, you know."

"Playing victim?" Rein chaffed.

"Who, me?" Killua snickered lightly before falling silent. "I can remember mostly everything from the events leading up to the explosion, but it's not adding up. I wasn't anywhere near Zepile. Even with all my training there was no way I would have reached him in time if he was as good as buried. And somehow I'm the one who got caught up in the incident, but he seems perfectly fine. I'm missing something." Giving up on his concentration, he let out an exasperated sigh. "What a pain."

"So you're not enjoying the Hunter Exam?"

"It was pretty boring last year too," he answered with a shrug. "But it's interesting, I guess."

"You just contradicted yourself."

"I think not."

She shook her head. "Come on. Unless failing is a goal of yours, I suggest we go search for some hints like the examiner told us to." Rein turned to go, and Killua caught a trace of grey on her otherwise black t-shirt. He leaned forward for a quick sniff. While he wasn't nearly as canine as Gon was, all his senses were sharp. Ash. There on her back was ash.

"Hey." He shoved his hands into his pockets. "Were you the one that carried me from the explosion site to here?"

"Yeah."

And they weren't even on good terms, technically speaking. "Huh." Killua shoved past her, purposely bumping into her shoulder as he walked by.

" _Hey."_ She leapt up and pushed forcefully back as he receded away. "Where are you going?"

"What did you just say? Look for clues?" Killua looked back before jutting out his jaw towards the back of the dining hall. It was an invitation to her. "You want to pass, don't you? Well then, let's go look for clues."

* * *

 _"Who to kill, who to keep,"_ the examiner chanted, tapping her chin along to an imaginary overhanging harmony.

"One with white hair," he suggested.

She scowled at Feitan, who merely inspected a lock of his own raven hair as he sat in the dewy midnight grass. She continued to glare his way, but he paid her no attention.

"No one tells me how to do my job, least of all you." She waved her papers in his face and to her dismay, did not succeed in paper cutting his eyeballs. "You were on my 'die' list originally too. If you hadn't been quick enough to come out in that short time after the explosion, you would've been dead."

Feitan's eyes were uninterested as he looked to her, the scoff suppressed but evident in his expression. "Think you can kill me?"

Hunter stared down outlaw and almost went to test out the challenge, but she refrained. "I make a list of the people I like, and try to get rid of the ones I don't. That's how I've run my Hunter Exams, but you've passed already. I've no more right."

"Where's white hair brat?"

"On the list?" She flipped through pages upon pages of the applicant list. "I already got most of them out of the way with the explosion, which, to be honest, I'm really sure how it happened. I had fuel ready, but someone set off the explosion earlier somehow. But for your question; that applicant is in the high nineties. I might not have time to kill him off, if that makes you happy."

Feitan lay down, gaze peeking through the tall grasses at the hotel, crumbling on two ends and on fire at one of them. That better not have been Lucky's fault.

If the white haired boy from Yorknew was in the nineties on her list, it was safe to assume the examiner was checking people off by the order they ticked her off, greatest to least. It was a shame he'd been the first one to escape after the explosion, he would have liked to see if this Hunter was as infantile as she seemed or if she was indeed capable of posing a challenge. After all, he was quick. He'd made sure to be. Everyone else was slow, not to mention stupid, and that was why they were still trapped in that ridiculously easy to escape from hotel. With the examiner's hit list, it would be even more difficult.

The hit list. Feitan himself had been on it. It was natural. With his nature, he was bound to piss people off. But there were other people that he knew of. They didn't tick him off, exactly, but if they somehow had gotten onto the red papers in her hand... He sighed. "On the list. Where... Is there..."

"Yeah?"

He blinked. Feitan clenched his fist hidden in his pocket, fingernails digging into his skin and giving him a dull sense of pain, almost a slap at himself to wake up and draw him back to reality.

"You had a question about who was on the kill list, or what?"

Rolling his eyes, he looked out to the sky, stiff with smoke from the explosion, the dark clouds simmering at the edges. The smoke inhalation must have been messing with him. He'd been away from the smog at Meteor for so long, maybe he'd fallen short on immunity and strength in his lungs. "Nothing."

* * *

Killua took a few steps forward and pointed a sly finger upwards, at the many crisscrossing support beams lining the ceiling. It was a convoluted maze of plastered beams that went this way and that, intricately patterning the surface. With all the floor space covered, it was a reasonable proposal. He smirked. "We could search there."

Rein stared at the ceiling for a few moments. "Let's do this."

Killua secured his footholds and hefted himself up quickly, making his way up the high wall. As he went, he called down to her: "Can you climb?"

_You'd still be climbing trees and convincing yourself you weren't going to fall._

_You're Aira, aren't you?_

Rein shook her head vigorously. Even if what the Chain User said was technically correct, she shouldn't have cared about any of that. She tilted her head back up at Killua. "Hey, uh..."

Killua spoke first. "When you stuttered a lot before. That was a lie, right? You just stuttered to cover things up."

"You realized? I'm not that great a liar, so that was probably my only way to go. Why do you ask?"

"No reason," he admitted truthfully. Noticing Rein wasn't climbing up after him, he paused, handing from a small crevice by his fingertips. Why wasn't she following? "It was obvious to me, but you had the others completely fooled, even when I warned them."

As the words sunk in, her mouth turned into a small 'o'. "I tricked them?" she asked, sounding almost elated.

"That wasn't meant as a compliment."

"Oh."

"Not that I'm one to judge," he added. Killua bit his tongue to keep from speaking about the family business. Deception was a highly regarded skill in assassination, but he couldn't tell her about that, could he. There was a bit of an awkward standstill when none of them talked, and Rein made no move to climb. "I asked a question, so you can ask one back, I guess," he offered.

"The Chain User. Kurapika? Could you just talk about him, maybe? Casually?" She realized when he didn't respond that her point wasn't getting clearly across. "It's not like I want to know. I mean, I do, but not in _that_ way."

Killua tried to process what she'd just said. "You want to know how Kurapika's doing?"

 _"What_ he's doing," she clarified, grateful her thoughts had become understandable. "But not right now. When you get the chance to, I guess."

"You asked, but you don't want an answer. Fine, whatever." He shook his head at the idea before peering down. "Can you climb or not?" he repeated more forcefully, turning to get a head start on scaling the wall.

She cracked her knuckles. Within seconds, she was above Killua, grappling and going up even higher. "Can _you_ climb?" she taunted lightly, blowing a raspberry down at him right after.

He visibly flinched when a small amount of spittle landed on his face. "Keep your drool in _your_ mouth," he shot back. "It's disgusting."

Turning to look down at him again, she leaned out as much as she could, locked eyes, and blew a raspberry in his unexpecting face.

Killua blinked.

With that began an enraged game as they both sped up the walls and across the ceiling and through a hanging chandelier. As they both leapt and swung across the crowd below, for a moment, they both forgot what they were supposed to be doing, or what they'd even been talking about. One was ticked, the other was feeling sheer terror, but they both had smiles playing at the corners of their lips.

Right now, it was fun, and nothing more.

The two kids on the beams and pipes continued to search around after they were done with their game of chase, raking their hands behind each dark area. It was tedious work. "You find anything yet?" Killua asked. "All I'm finding is dust." He rubbed his fingers together before wiping them on his shorts.

Rein continued to look down when her eyes caught on a familiar head of brown standing up on a table. Zepile began to shout, and the commanding voice struck a chord of realization in her.

"Everyone, gather around!" Zepile shouted, his voice carrying out over the crowd. For such an inconspicuous man, he certainly had a loud voice and alarming presence when he pushed for it. "One of the clues has been found!"

Killua gave a short laugh, and Rein's gaze slid over to him. "He's an auctioneer all right," he commented, jumping down to the ground. She followed, and they both approached to hear what he had to say.

"We have a time limit of three hours! With this, the most logical course of act—"

The dreaded announcements screeched on. _"Finally found my message, have we?"_ The walls suddenly changed shape, entire sections peeling off as if nothing more than aged wallpaper. They unfurled and dropped to the ground, revealing dozens upon dozens of new exits. _"If you don't want to wait, pick a door, any door!"_

"Screw it. I'm getting out." One of the applicants got up against the many protests and opened one of the doors hesitantly. There was a moment of relief and peace before he was burnt to a crisp by a sudden wall of fire.

Eyes wide, the entire remaining crowd stared in shock as the body charred black dropped to the ground. Zepile took a hand to cover Zushi's eyes.

"Are all Hunters this mad?" muttered Zepile, before clearing his throat and ordering the rest of the examinees to split up and keep searching for clues. The crowd, unable to find any fault in his logic, started to disperse.

"Wait!" It was a girl. Smoothing down her turquoise hair under a spherical hat, the girl held up a tile. "I found this. It has a number on one side and a letter on the other. This is probably a clue as the examiner mentioned."

Zepile's eyes widened before he brought out his own from his vest pocket. "Mine also has a letter and a number," he said, showing it to the turquoise-haired teen.

"Oh!" Rein perked up, weaved her way to the front of the crowd, She took a tile out from her own skirt pocket and showed it to the two. "Mine has thirty four on it."

Killua looked to the tile in her hand, lips drawn tight. "When did you get that?"

"When we were searching for clues," Rein promptly answered. "It was stuck on the bottom of one of the beams."

"And you didn't tell me."

"Yeah."

"Even though I specifically ordered you to." His tone was dead.

She caught Killua's unamused face and started to defend herself. "Okay, looking back, that was kinda dumb, I admit _that_ much. I thought it was some weird examinee badge or something!"

He flicked her forehead. "Are you a _moron?"_

"Hey, hey, break it up," Zepile said, coming in between the two. He got back on the table to shout to the crowd. "We are looking for hand-sized tiles with numbers and letters! Everyone, search the area and also expand outside the hall if you have to. Bring what you find to this table, and then, we'll make sense of this and finally get out of here!"

They had gathered nearly two dozen tiles, and Lucky was very confident in saying that he'd figured out the code already. If it involved numbers, he'd said, they should leave it to him. "The Fibonacci sequence," Lucky explained to the crowd, "is a string of numbers created where each new figure is calculated by adding up the two numbers that came before it."

It was safe to say that no one understood what he was talking about.

Taking a charred piece of wood, Lucky began to write on the white walls.

"We start with zero," said Lucky, moving to the right of the equation he'd written. There seemed to be subscripts, but with his sloppy writing, it was impossible to tell. "Ignoring negatives, since we can't add anything, we go on to the next number, which is one." He set a finger on what he'd just written and continued to prattle on about math. Lucky scribbled on the wall, spewing charcoal numbers in rapid succession and only pausing for mere instants to double check his work. one understood a thing he was saying. Stopping at the number 28,657 scrawling across the milky plaster, he turned again to the crowd. "We only need these numbers! Continue searching for the tiles!"

They seemed hesitant.

"Come on, chop-chop! We got an hour left, so move it!" Zepile yelled, and the crowd instantly obeyed. Spending years in the auctioneer field and training for months on how to demand money from stubborn strangers certainly had its perks.

"Thanks, man." Lucky rifled through the tiles, placing them in order. "We have most of them, but not all. We're missing a few numbers in the sequence, and we'll find them soon, I'm sure, but look." He held up two of the tiles, and fit them next to each other. When together, the rectangle curved. "Ultimately, our finished code will be a circle."

"You know," Killua said, rocking back on his heels, "you're sometimes useful."

"Thanks," he responded absentmindedly, sorting out the numbered tiles before he paused, replaying the comment he'd just received. "At least I think that was a compliment."

He only shrugged.

Slowly, the code built upon itself until finally, they were met with a coherent sentence. When it was finished, Zepile in his booming voice called everyone back so they could collectively read the message. Everyone gathered around, crowding the circle and pushing against each other, holding their breaths in anticipation.

The tiles read:

Congrats youve found the exit.

Which was great, right? It was spectacular news, and would have been something to celebrate had the words actually been true. But they were not, and they were still stuck with less than half an hour to figure how they were ever going to make it out of the hotel alive.

With a few under-the-breath curses, a group of people started to head for the various doors that had unfurled before, abandoning the group. Seeing Zushi was about to jump up and reason with them, Killua stopped him. "They're set on doing this. You won't be able to change their minds. Don't go after them."

He looked out at their leaving backs, brows furrowed with concern. He thought about questioning Killua, but an order was an order, no matter who it came from. The others walked out various trap-ridden doors of their own will, sure to never come back.

When no one else moved to leave, they breathed a sigh of relief and got to work. Why a circle? They tried to brainstorm for a reason, any reason. The girl with turquoise hair talked about astronomy, Zepile suggested wheels, Lucky brought up pi, Zushi brought up pie, and many others gave their opinions. But it was a dead end. They sat, stumped, with twenty minutes left on the clock.

In the silence, something in Killua clicked. "We're overthinking this. Rein." He looked at her intently. "You remember what was up there?"

She seemed confused for a second before her eyes slowly widened. "Right, we had that hand, didn't we?"

"There were small bumps sectioning it off, too."

"I thought it was weird, but if it's for this, it makes sense."

"It did seem too expen-"

Lucky grabbed both of their shoulders and shook. _"What_ are you two talking about?"

* * *

Rein handed the tiles in order to Killua, who then placed them on the circular support frame of the chandelier. They kept in this mechanical form as the remaining applicants waited anxiously below for them to finish as the time passed agonizingly by.

Killua let the last tile fall into place. A second passed as a whirring noise and the clicks of gears echoed throughout the hall, thrumming a rhythm that flowed to a point in the hall right near them. The walls creaked as a new passageway opened up.

"Jackpot." Killua let loose of the pole he'd been pinning with his thighs, falling expertly to the ground and landing in a calculated crouch.

Rein jumped down right after and tried to use him as a cushion to her fall, which didn't work as he saw out of the corner of her eye took a large step to the right, letting her crash unprotected onto one of the tables. "Ow," she complained, and he smirked.

Dusting themselves off, they followed after the other applicants. The two caught up to their companions promptly and stepped out together. After the hotel with the fires and the shape-shifting walls, the breath they'd been holding now came out in a rush, feeling the soft padded grass beneath their shoes. The fresh, salty smell of the lagoon was a stark yet welcome exchange for the sooty, burnt-flesh smell they had unknowingly gotten accustomed to. The rolling hills were almost as blue as the ocean at this hour, seeming nearly luminescent under a full moon.

"Congratulations!" the examiner shouted, slapping them all from their relieved stupor. "You've made it out—" Behind them, the hotel exploded, raining down glass and fiery plaster. "—and just in time!" she finished, leaning back in her chair to watch the fire burn. It seemed as if she couldn't be happier unless she'd brought marshmallows to roast as the building went ablaze.

"Hunters are crazy," Zepile dared to breathe, quiet.

The fire was far off, but Rein still caught the glow radiating off of their examiner's round cheeks, and the heat pressed into her eyeballs, welcoming but at the same time, stinging. Flames. She knew someone who used them, using emotions that he kept stowed away to fuel its heat. Where was he?

Rein thought she caught a glimpse of a familiar head of hanging black hair, but it melted out of her peripheral vision as soon as it had come.

* * *  
  


_25 applicants have made it through the third phase of the Hunter Exam._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter and the last I edited previous 4 chapters into 2, so if something doesn't make sense with the flow, please tell me ( i cut things in two. there might be things I missed).
> 
> On a side note the voice actor for Feitan is the same for Kudo Shinichi from Detective Conan/Case Closed and is also the voice actor for Kuroba Kaito from Kaito Kid/Magic Kaito and I just... my entire life is a lie. (Seriously, Fei talking as much as those two? IMPOSSIBLE)


	39. Heart to Heart

The examiner revealed their next phase would be taking place in a forest about four hours' worth flight from the burning hotel, and that was all the information they got before they were ushered into a private airship. 

The five entered the ship together, chatting about nothing and everything almost like old friends and breaking their formation only when they had a door to go through. Occasionally Zushi lingered and meandered down various hallways in wonder, but not for long before someone pulled him along.

They flowed into the break room, and got down to their own needs—Rein grabbed a box of slightly stale crackers, Zepile grabbed a few books off of the shelves, Zushi bought a box of orange juice from the vending machine, Killua grabbed a nearby yo-yo and started to perform jaw-dropping spins and twirls, and Lucky snatched a few pillows, blankets, and bean bags before wandering off in search of coffee—before claiming a corner and settling down to relax. Rein even offered Killua and Lucky two new shirts she'd acquired, and they'd happily changed.

It was nice, sitting there and slouching, sitting amidst pillows and carpet, shoving your feet into someone's face while they shoved you away, drinking whatever drink you had and warming your middle with soft beanbags.

Lucky left a few minutes later with an excuse of searching for the bathroom, and with a small breath, Killua stood right after. "Guess it's time for us to talk now. You wanted to know, right?" he asked Rein.

It was finally time to get answers she wanted. She nodded, taking more bites of semi-stale cracker.

"You two are leaving as well?" Zushi asked, taking a sip from his orange juice, eyeing them.

"Yeah." When Rein made no effort to move, Killua grasped her upper arm and dragged her off, but not before Rein grabbed the entire cracker box and waved back at the remaining two as she was hauled through the break room doors.

"Well then," Zepile said as the doors swung shut. He looked down at Zushi, and their hazel eyes met. In such a short amount of time, they'd been abandoned. The space seemed bare without people occupying it. "I guess... You want to go to the outside deck or something?"

His eyes shone, sparkling at the prospect of seeing even more of the airship. "Osu!"

* * *

Killua was strangely quiet as they stood in the empty corridor. Shadows whizzed by as chopper blades on the side of the ship, but in the darkness, everything seemed still. "There are things I want to know too. Can we ask questions in turn, like before? I feel that'd be easier for the both of us."

"As long as I get to go first," she stated, and he chuckled dryly at her to go right ahead. She cleared her throat, but her mind was blank. "What's he doing now? The Chain, I mean, Kurapika."

He shrugged. "Who knows? I've been in Greed Island this entire time, and reception doesn't work there with the outside world. As soon as I left I tried contacting him, but he isn't responding. It's been the same way with Leorio too. He's probably in the underworld trying to get the eyes of his clan back, though, since that's what he mentioned before."

A shiver ran up her spine, and she attempted to cover it up. Eyes, of his clan. "What do you mean?"

"It's my turn for a question now. You get to ask later." Killua gnawed at the inside of his cheek, pondering over what to say and hesitant. "Do you... What do you think of the Phantom Troupe now that you know what really happened?"

"Oh." She still liked them, didn't she? But now that he mentioned it, she'd noticed the thin membrane of hesitance she'd built up around them. They hadn't changed, and she hadn't changed, but the circumstances had. The Spiders had all done what society deemed as bad, and even before, she had been all right with that. Now, thinking about the idea of what they'd done felt personal, private. She thought of them as family, but what about her former one, the one with the Chain User and the others she didn't remember? She would have loved them, surely, if her demeanor now was anything to go off of. The what-ifs, the maybes, the potential friends, parents, cousins, siblings—Rein had always wanted siblings, a brother or a sister her age in a group where everyone was older and didn't have time for fun, meaningless things.

The Spiders had attacked the Kurta, she and Kurapika its only survivors. People she would have loved were now pushing up daisies. But she didn't remember, that's right, she didn't. She should have cared, but all she could feel was pity at a blank slate. She shouldn't be thinking about this. She didn't want to.

Now, could she even prefer anyone over who she had now? "If you're asking if my loyalties have changed, you're wrong. We've been together for so long and that's all I can remember."

Killua nodded faintly, and she was grateful he left it at that, seeming to have accepted it. He jut his chin out. "Your turn."

It took a while for her to register ("Oh, right.") and even longer for her to remember. "What do you mean by when you said the Chain User is looking for the eyes of his clan?"

"Gon said before, but the Kurta were harvested for their Scarlet Eyes."

Somehow, that sentence struck her more painfully than anything she'd thought, and it was difficult to swallow.

"The eyes are sold in the underground, and because they're so rare with no more sources to fall back on, they're extremely expensive. Kurapika is saving money and making connections so he can get them all back. He's..." Killua's voice shook, and he pulled a hand through his hair. "He's doing it all himself, Rein."

"Killua?"

"That stupid idiot thinks he can do it all himself, but he can't, he _can't,_ " he said bitterly. "I couldn't get in touch with Kurapika, but Senritsu. She's working in the underground with him, but he isn't even _talking_ to her now." He gulped down a dry breath. "He's been trying to distance himself from her. She said that one time, he got his hands on a pair, he didn't even look at anyone. She said he was crying. He was crying alone in his room and when he found out she was listening, he grabbed her arm so hard it bruised and threatened her not to tell us. He doesn't want help," he spat, and hunched his shoulders so the girl wouldn't see his face.

Rein stepped closer and set a firm hand on his shoulder, waiting until he calmed down. "You good?" she asked when he had stilled.

"I'm... not telling you to forgive Kurapika. Even I know that's way too much. You don't even have to like him at all. But it would be easier for all of us if you understand where he's coming from."

Rein blinked before slowly shaking her head, letting stray strands swing to and fro. "You know the answer."

"Yeah," Killua shifted, "I figured as much."

"Although," she sat, tugging on his arm so he would follow, "maybe I'll be a bit more sympathetic. No promises, though." She could never forgive him for what he'd done. But contrary to what she'd told Killua, she was able to follow along with how the Chain User felt. She understood the situation completely, but Rein didn't know how to _feel_ about all of this, really. It was all muddled in inky, oily, black tar in the pit of her stomach and she couldn't rub free of it, traces of uneasiness still lining her insides.

The weight on his shoulders seemed to have eased. "Promise."

She stuck out her tongue. "I am a thief. Deals are made to be broken and if you decide to trust me, you've made a horrible decision."

He suddenly laughed, bursting from his middle. When he stopped, he looked at her, expression softer than before. The tension in his figure had all but drifted away, but she hadn't noticed it had been there until it was all gone, leaving a relaxed and almost happy Killua that she preferred to see over the other stressed boy from before.

"My turn," she said, ignoring when he insisted that she'd just gone and it was his turn now. When he didn't shut up after she'd shushed him, she bounced forward and covered his mouth. "You're in Greed Island?"

He stopped trying to protest and pried her hand off his mouth. "You know of it?"

"Know of it, I've been there ever since Yorknew!"

His eyes were wide. "Wait, so have we."

Their expressions were comedy gold as they tried to shout over the other at the same time, which didn't turn out very well, as one can easily imagine.

* * *

Zushi marveled at the airship in awe, expression wide and glimmering. "It's amazing," he breathed as he stared up at the symbol of the Hunter Association dyed into the fabric that billowed beneath the sky. He rushed to the edge of the railing to catch a glimpse of the whirring propellers, shaking from excitement as he watched them move from afar. The only reason he didn't scramble off the deck to climb even closer to the engines was because Zepile was there, actively holding him back.

Holding onto the scrambling kid, the man set him down from a bench farthest from the edge, finally able to calm down when it became obvious Zushi wouldn't jump right off entirely. Instead, he sat with his hands under his thighs, giddy.

"You like ships, then?" An understatement.

"Osu!" he said brightly. "This is my first time on an airship! I've always wanted to ride one, but my master hardly ever travels, and if we do, it's usually within driving distance. To think that once I came to the Hunter Exam I would have the honor of boarding such a spectacular aerostat! And from the Hunter Association themselves!" Zushi's face positively melted. "I can die happy."

"You're, uh, not planning to die on me now, are you?"

"That was a speech mannerism I picked up while living and training with Lucky-san for the past months."

"Good," Zepile chuckled, pulling out a lighter and lighting his cigarette. Leaning back, he blew out a puff of smoke into the wind, balancing the cigarette between two loose fingers. "You live and train with Lucky?"

"He showed up at our doorstep one morning, and my master took him in until the Hunter Exam," Zushi explained, trying to keep his breathing as shallow as possible as the man next to him continued to smoke. He was grateful that he wasn't downwind.

Zepile looked down at him curiously. "You live with your martial arts instructor?"

A curt nod. "Shingen-Ryu. Ever since I've been under his care, my goal was to become strong enough to compete in Heaven's Arena. I reached that goal a few months back, so my new objective is to become a floor master, a top fighter."

He took another drag, breathing out slowly. "Is that your dream?"

"It is my aim."

"But... is it your _dream_."

Zushi seemed taken aback, his eyes had widened and as time passed, his thick eyebrows furrowed. "I... Forgive me, I fail to find the difference."

Ashes fell from the cigarette as he shook his head. "It's nothing." Reaching over, he dumped the rest of the ashes into a stone tray. "By the way, I never really caught your name, kid. Mine's Zepile."

"Osu! I am Zushi."

He laughed at the formality of this young boy. Living with his instructor had certainly drilled his fighting lifestyle into his character. On such a small boy though, it came off as more comical than strong or threatening. "Well then, Zushi, how old are you?"

"I am turning ten next month."

Zepile couldn't help a small frown from making its way across his lips, and he took another drag to cover it up. Kid was only nine, but he trained with his instructor for such a looming task, living with him for it. He didn't know much about Heaven's Arena, but he'd heard enough to know that as you passed levels, the rewards became higher, but so did the danger of fighting there. "When did your instructor first take you in?"

"It was..." Zushi paused, and the tightening of his fists didn't go unnoticed. "It was long ago. Wing"—it was a long time since he'd called his master by name, and the first where he'd been too absorbed in his thoughts to add a proper honorific to it—"doesn't like to talk about it. He says that lingering on the past will obscure my vision for the future. I started to house with him when I was around four, so I don't have many other memories other than my life with him."

 _"Four?"_ Realizing that he'd just shouted, Zepile ran a quick finger over his mouth and muttered a quick apology. But only at four? "Where are your parents?"

"My mother was an acquaintance of my master"—the use of titles were back now—"and it seemed she didn't know many others. When she gave me up, she said she had nowhere else to go and left me under his care."

"Oh." He took one glance at his cigarette before putting it out completely, grinding it into the ashtray to give the kid his full attention. "Do you know why?"

"I... I suspect my master has a hunch of the circumstances as to why," he admitted, "but my mother didn't say anything else when she left. We haven't heard of her since. He kept careful watch of the news for quite some time, but it seems he was wrong, so any suspicions he might have had also have the possibility of being inaccurate. We just don't know."

His face softened for this kid, and he slid a bit closer to him on the bench. He felt for the boy and what he'd gone through. Zepile may have lived alone, but he still had a family, someone to fall back on if he ever failed or needed support. What Zushi said next surprised him, though.

"I don't hate my mother." The boy scuffed his shoe against the floor, as if to look anywhere else. "My master doesn't hold the highest opinion of her, but I believe she must have had some circumstances. I'm sure she thought leaving me with someone else was the best choice. And even if that's not the case, she is my mother. I could never hate her on what little information I have, and I don't hold the right."

This kid... he was really nice, wasn't he? Zepile smiled at him, even if he wasn't looking up at him at the moment. "What about your dad?"

"I don't have a father."

"Oh. I see." Zepile cursed himself as that should have been the obvious conclusion to draw off of what he'd said before. He resisted the urge to smoke again and instead sat on his hands to stop his hands from subconsciously reaching for the pack in his coat pocket. They sat side by side, their hands under their thighs.

"I have Wing-san, but that's not the same thing, is it."

He shrugged. "If you see him as a father figure, you're already done and set. You don't need to be biologically related."

Zushi only shook his head. "I understand, but I don't see him that way. He is my teacher, and someone I look up to. He cares for my needs, but he's not my father."

They sat on the deck, the smell of tobacco smoke completely wiped away from the outside gales of flying in the sky. It was a sky blue, a pearly, perfect blue with faint cotton-candy-like wisps of clouds stretched and floating past. The airship passed through a thicker, larger cloud, and the air became white for a while before breaking out once more.

"I always wanted siblings," Zushi said, tilting his head to the expanse above. "Or friends. The area I live in doesn't have a lot of children, and it's shady. The only person I knew well enough to trust was Wing-san. Sometimes he would train people, but they would usually be gone pretty quickly. I made friends with Killua and his friend Gon recently when they came to train, but they left. Meeting Killua here was by chance. But then there's Lucky. He's going away after he passes the Hunter Exam, but he promised to come back and send emails and visit."

"Lucky? Well, he's a bit odd, but he seems like a good person."

Zushi nodded. "He even arranged for me to take the Exam with him. I was really happy when he did that, and I got to see more of the world and even take this airship..." he sounded nearly breathless, but he continued. "I'm grateful to see the world before going back to Heaven's Arena."

"That Arena place. Do you like it?"

"It is the ideal place for me to grow stronger."

"But do you _like_ it." Zepile blinked before sighing. This déjà vu was not for nothing; they'd had an eerily similar exchange before, in the same conversation no less. "Look, kid," he said, leaning forward to bring his hands together. "You seem like someone who has set goals, and I respect that. Those are good to have. But exploring the world and yourself is a part of growing up, which you're doing right now, and, you know, good job on that," he was getting off track. He cleared his throat. "But you're going to change, especially at your age. Every so often, check if what you're doing is what you want to do. I learned that the hard way."

Zushi was silent and Zepile wondered if he'd said too much until the boy responded loudly: "Osu! I will humbly take that into consideration!"

This kid. He shook his head with a light smile on his face.

Zushi's next question was sudden. "Zepile-san. Will you be my friend?"

His eyes widened a bit, but he grinned. "We both have 'Z' names. We _have_ to be friends."

Zepile and Zushi sat next to each other feeling the wind on the ship deck, the breeze so strong it was nearly impossible to tell apart where each of their russet hairs started and the other's began.

* * *

Later, somewhere private on the airship, a text was being sent. From who, one could only speculate, but the receiver was no stranger. 

Unentered number  
Apologies for the late response. Transition to fourth phase: Aira is passing easily.

Kurapika   
Excellent job.

Kurapika  
I trust you will look to it that it will stay that way. 

* * *

They stepped off the airship and were met with the smell of pine, sharp mountain air greeting them as the airship flew off and finally, finally they were left in peace. They were left there for a few minutes and the applicants took this opportunity to stretch, meditate, and prepare, to double check their weapons and straighten their badges. Soon, the scene turned from preparing examinees to those anxiously waiting, tapping their feet to the invisible ticking of time.

"Where's the examiner?" a few people complained, and the few that had wristwatches checked them constantly. No one dared take out their phone, lest the next examiner come out last second.

It was by complete chance that someone saw it approaching.

A figure was swooping through the foliage, a dark shadow speedily making its way towards them. Drawing closer, they could see it was a man. The man swiftly maneuvered through the think branches and the twigs, batting and dodging as he barreled through the leaves to the applicants, miraculously making no noise as he went. When he finally stopped and perched himself atop a strong bough, it was clear to see there wasn't a single scratch on him. "Greetings." He dropped down from the trees, his long white hair flowing perfectly with his actions.

"I apologize for the wait," he said, brushing himself off lightly. The man tipped his hat, its shadow rimming his eyes like a thick mask of layered kohl. "I am Kite, your examiner for the fourth phase." 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Time for mindgames on who's texting Kurapika-


	40. Phase Four

"This way, please," Kite instructed, turning a soft heel and leading the group into the dense forest. He pointed at a clearing, and the tall building which he was referring to was near impossible to see from the thick grove around it. "Your task is to enter that tower. The only acceptable method is with these keys," he said, holding one up to a splotch of light as an example. "And the only beings with these are those cats."

Everyone's eyes veered to where he was gesturing behind them. On the ledge of the slope they had all just come down perched rows of cats of all different sizes and colors, but they all had one thing in common; the simple metal key tied snugly around their necks.

In an instant, the group was chasing after the animals, and the cats were expertly fleeing, not letting the applicants even get close to them. It was complete chaos within a matter of seconds.

Unable to hold it in, Kite tipped his head back and laughed. "You have until nightfall," he chuckled as the others ran madly about him. "Working in a group is tolerated and if it's agreed, you may use one key per group to enter. I wish you the best of luck and skill."

* * *

Chasing after the creatures had been far from successful. They were too quick and seemed to attack as soon as anyone made it close. Cats, after all, were naturally faster than humans, and animals—especially trained or wild ones—also used the aura around them for their everyday survival. Nen-powered cats were difficult indeed.

Lucky was covered in all sorts of scratches and bruises. A few had been from claws, but most were from tripping or unknowingly walking into trees. "I'm beat," he announced, trying to plop down to the ground.

It wasn't long before another approached their group. "Hey, could I join the party?" a man asked, walking up to them with his hands settled warmly upon his round stomach. He smiled. "I saw the commotion and thought I might as well join."

"Oh, uh, sure," Lucky responded, scrambling back to his feet. He didn't notice the glare Killua was giving the man from behind him.

"Thanks, happy to work with you!" The man held out his hand, brown and thick, lined with age. As they were shaking, he started introductions. "I'm a veteran here, actually. This is my thirty fifth time at the Hunter Exam!"

"I... see," Lucky said politely, pulling back. "Well, that's certainly a very good..."

"Usually I call out to the newbies first to try and help them out nearer to the start of the Exam, but it's just been hectic, huh? I'm Tonpa. Let's have fun working together! You know, I have a plan on how to beat this phase, since it's looking pretty tough. We should team up to make it work! Obviously you need to trap the cats with force or kill them, there's no other way to get the key-" As Tonpa continued to chat with him, someone else approached their group from behind.

* * *

Killua was buying none of Tonpa's act; he hadn't the first time, and he certainly wouldn't now. Hiding behind Lucky, he was more concerned about the fact that he couldn't see Rein or Zushi anywhere. As soon as the man had come, he'd gotten so careless as to forget his surroundings. He was sure they were alright. But he had to admit, the feeling he got from these woods certainly wasn't safe.

"Hey," Killua whispered, bringing Zepile closer. "You see where those two went?"

"What?" he whispered. He looked around to see Rein and Zushi were missing and tried to pinpoint where they were at, but there was no sign of them. With the dense forest, it was hard to tell if anyone else was nearby. He looked worried for a second as he bit his thumbnail. "If it's those two, they'll probably be fine. Maybe they saw a cat and went off or something."

They were pretty tough, Killua would give them that. Zushi had trained under Wing and was able to withstand one of Killua's assassin-worthy attacks. Rein had been with the Spiders for as long as she remembered; she could surely pass. Both of them so far were getting through the Exam with ease, and Rein even had time to carry him away from danger when he was unconscious at the hotel. But his problem at the moment wasn't Rein or Zushi or any questions he had. It was Tonpa.

Apparently, they were in the middle of introductions because Zepile soon pulled Killua out from behind Lucky and tried to get him to speak with the man in question.

Killua grinned at how his round face drained of color when their eyes met, and he tilted his head down to maximize the threatening effect. Tonpa was troublesome, an annoying bother that would only get in the way. Getting rid of him would feel quite nice.

"And this is... wait, where's Red and Freckles?" Lucky whipped around to find them, in vain. "That's weird, they were here before."

The immensely displeased look that flickered across Tonpa's face for a split second didn't go unnoticed. He was soon smiling again to cover it up, but Killua narrowed his eyes at the man. Was he really _that_ disappointed at not being able to crush a mere two more rookies? Not that Killua was ever going to give him a chance at messing up their shot at the Exam, but he seemed so irritated that they were gone. Rein and Zushi were nice enough and Killua liked them, but in all honesty, he didn't think they were worth getting upset about. Unless he had other reason, Tonpa was only wasting his energy if he was getting that worked up over two missing rookies. Why...

Tch. What an intolerable guy.

The next few minutes were spent chasing around the first cat they saw, and Killua's sharp eye caught every intentional blunder Tonpa made to chase the animals away, or to slow the group down. Killua was quick; his assassin upbringing had made it that way. In fact, he'd already succeeded in knocking out one of the felines and getting a key. He was set to pass, but he wanted to make sure the two friends with him passed and that the rookie crusher's hobby would end, today.

Killua was becoming really pissed at the fact that he was the only one who knew of Tonpa's ill intentions. Tonpa had gotten over the missing rookies pretty quickly, and his icy glaring didn't seem to hold any more effect now as Tonpa incorrectly thought he was all bark and no bite. Mistake. It was foolish to bear teeth and not use them. If they were only for show, what true value did they hold?

It bothered him though, that neither Lucky nor Zepile were seeing through Tonpa's act. Why couldn't they? It was all so fake and corny—They were too nice for their own good.

With a big show of 'tripping', Tonpa managed to scare away another cat. Killua had to pinch himself to refrain from taking over-the-top action. He could kill him sure, but he supposed he kinda wanted his friends to pass on their own first before dealing with the man.

Lucky was the first to apologize and help Tonpa up, even though he hadn't done anything. "Sorry y'all," he shrugged, assuring Tonpa that no, it wasn't a big deal and yes, they still wanted him around. "Probably just my bad luck."

Killua wanted to gag at it all.

If you asked him, his only bad luck was having Tonpa stick around.

* * *

"Ah, miss?" Zushi straightened out the collar of his uniform after the woman finally let go of his and Rein's shoulders. Words of respect often spewed from him like a fountain, it was how he'd been taught, but right now all his fancy words left him as he asked: "...why?"

"Sorry, you two shouldn't be near the likes of _him_." She took off her bright hat for a brief moment, revealing a cowlick before she set it back atop her head, fixing it. "He's the rookie crusher," she explained. "No one should be near him."

"But what about the rest of the group you left behind?"

The woman shrugged, her turquoise colored hair falling over her shoulder neatly. "Lucky can handle him, I'm sure."

Rein stuck her hands into her pockets and looked to the woman. Her hair fell in waves down her back with occasional neon strands sticking out beneath her round hat, which must have been big as or larger than her entire head. The cloth of her shirt and pants was woven thickly, pastel colors giving her a soft, warm glow along with its simplicity. Her hourglass figure was plumper around her hips, and her stance was gentle, yet firm. Clutching a pebble in her pocket, Rein first introduced herself, then the boy.

Zushi responded to the introduction by bowing and throwing out his arms to his sides, saying, "Osu! I am pleased to make your acquaintance, miss, uh..."

Smiling, the woman patted his head. "Ponzu. Pleased to meet you too, Zushi," she looked to the girl and held eye contact, "and Rein." She straightened and looked fondly upon the two kids. "You can work with me. I've gone through a similar Exam phase before, and it's easier with more people."

Together, they searched for cats. Ponzu was probably right in what would become of Lucky and the others with him. Zushi had full confidence they would pass. He wasn't sure why Ponzu had pulled only he and Rein from the group when she could've told them all Tonpa was an undesirable character. Her actions confused him, but he wouldn't question it. Maybe she was shy.

Except that while Ponzu prattled on and questioned them both about their life, he found that possibility weakening. She asked them about what kind of Hunter they wanted to be, why they came to the Hunter Exam, who did they come with, what they were planning to do afterwards. As the questions grew more and more personal, Zushi became uncomfortable. Rein was answering them without any concern (and not revealing much about her personal life, thank goodness for privacy), but to him this conversation seemed forced, as if it had been made to go in a certain direction.

It was too rigid. As soon as a question was answered, Ponzu tried to get Zushi to respond, but with none much, she whipped out another inquiry, as if she had thought about this before, or prepared it beforehand. Either way-

"Zushi!" A voice suddenly snapped him back to reality.

"Oh, uh, I, O-osu?"

Rein cocked her head to the side. "Stars, you lose an ear or something? You've hardly been hearing anything we're talking about." She gestured to the woman next to them as the boy started to apologize, cutting him off. "She had a question."

Her large, round eyes crinkled a bit mechanically as she tipped down nearer to his eye level. "Where will you be after the Exam?"

"I will collect my license if I'm fortunate enough to get it this time around, and if I do, I'll..." Zushi was ready to go on, but his tongue fell limp in his mouth. "I'll..." He would go to the Exam, perform his best, and return to Heaven's Arena. That was the plan. Those were his orders, and he knew he would follow them; he _should_ follow them. He choked out his predetermined objective: "I am to return to my master and continue my training". But while he was saying that, his throat felt strangely constricted.

Ponzu nodded happily at the response she'd finally gotten from the boy. She appeared to be caught up in it for a second too long before she turned to Rein and tried to ask her more, but he cut her off. He didn't have any intention of being disrespectful by doing this, but he had delved too deep into his thoughts again to properly register what exactly he'd done to an elder.

"Ponzu-san, have you met Lucky before?" When she shook her head, Zushi nodded and brought his hand to his chin, concerns swarming his vision and line of thinking. "I see. That's strange."

"Why do you think so?"

"Even though you haven't formally met, you knew his name! Remember? You said Lucky would be able to handle things, already knowing his name even though you had a need to ask ours." He took with his arms crossed, not intimidating, but unyielding. "Why was that?"

Ponzu's smile faltered as she drew up. Her fingers wrapped around her hair, looping the strands over and over. "I overheard you all during the second phase. I remember most everything I experience, so I can't help it," she laughed.

Her story didn't hold any inconsistencies, but somehow, Zushi couldn't bring himself to believe her.

A flash of fur scampered across his feet and evaded his grasp in the nick of time before prancing off into the thick shrubbery, already long gone. Zushi set his fists firmly at his sides. Their goal right now was to get a key from a cat. The physical reminder had slapped him back to reality.

"If I could suggest something, I have an idea on how to get the key we need," he offered.

Rein and Ponzu leaned in eagerly, ready to hear his words. He informed them of his strategy, hopefully one that would get them into the tower on time. Zushi had questions and small inklings of suspicions, but those were minor concerns compared to the task he was supposed to fulfill. The objective was to pass, and he hoped the method he proposed would help.

Hm. His... objective, huh?

* * *

A while back, Feitan had catapulted himself in a tree, lying in wait. He observed the scenes unfold below him, keen eyes piercing through the foliage so he got a good sense of what the other applicants were doing. They were chasing the cats around, trying to trap them, surprise them, blindly stab in their direction, but never succeeding. All these bumbling idiots with their brazen ways would never even come close to passing, that much was plain to see.

Speed and haste meant nothing. Timing, fluidity, and stealth were far more important, and he was a master in all of these. Creeping around and lying in wait for the perfect moment to finally spin forward and take action was what he did best. It was second nature to him.

His gaze caught on a small commotion below him, a group of similarly dressed men chasing around one of the felines with sticks as weapons, only to lose it as it dashed away into the underbrush.

Keeping his eyes locked on the patch of striped grey fur, he waited until the three were gone before he dropped from the tree he'd been hiding in, feet landing softly on the grass. If this was the best method the other applicants could come up with, he'd just go ahead and pass by himself.

He made his way toward where he'd last seen the creature, shaking out his right hand as he always did to prepare. The tendons connecting his phalanges popped at the thought of what he would soon do. The cat was cornered, backed up against a rocky hillside. There was nowhere to run.

He approached, coming into the light.

Feitan met the cat's lemon yellow eyes through the leaves and slowly blinked in greeting, which the cat did right back. Inching forward, he crouched down to its level and slid a piece of bacon out of his pocket, which he'd grabbed as a quick snack on the airship. Spiders had to eat too, after all. Feitan tore off a chunk and held it in front of him, not eagerly or close enough to seem desperate or as if he cared, but determined enough that it was tempting for the cat. The cat slowly made its way towards him, sniffing once before clawing away the bacon and swallowing it whole. Attracted by the scent of crisp meat on his finger tips, the cat drew closer, licking off the oil with its rough tongue and later rubbing underneath them, its purring powerful enough to vibrate through his bones. It was an order to pet.

Feitan began to scratch under its chin, soft grey fur and fat running delightfully soft against his skin. Carefully, he slid the key off of the cat's neck and stayed in the crouch for a few more seconds to rub its ears before standing up.

As the sounds of thrashing and hissing could be heard from the outside even through the thick stone walls, Feitan was the first to walk into the tower, closely tailed by a skinny, yellow-eyed cat.

* * *

_Number of applicants who have passed the fourth phase of the Hunter Exam: only one so far, you go Fei-Fei_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Feitan tiene un gato y estoy muerto. I have a headcanon that every single member of the phantom troupe is good with cats this is a necessity in my life.


	41. A New Spider

Shalnark adjusted his binoculars as he attempted to get a closer look at the man he was observing. Their Nen exorcist for Danchou. Machi had been the one to find him, but unfortunately the man had gotten involved in a flimsy alliance, and he was now in no condition to carry out his Hatsu on Chrollo until the Nen went away. The ability was amazing, sure, but to be duped into a scam like that? Shalnark was sure he would be easy to manipulate.

Squinting through the binoculars one last time before putting it down, he sighed. The lenses were chipped, spreading white spiderwebs all across his vision. He couldn't see squat. His cheeks were puffed out in dissatisfaction as he unscrewed the lenses and thrifted around in his bag for a replacement.

"He hasn't done anything much for the past day." The clicks of geta shoes hitting stone stopped as the boy halted, his dark bangs falling neatly as he tilted his head up to the blond.

Shal looked to their newest member and smiled, trying to make his facial features forget there was anything wrong in the world. "Kalluto!" exclaimed Shalnark, patting the branch next to him as an invitation for the Zoldyck to sit.

Kalluto took this as an order and did just so, the perfection in his posture never fading as he settled down in the tree. "Do we need to keep tabs on him? We can easily find him again."

"It's for Danchou. Precautions are necessary." Finding a new lens, Shalnark started to screw it in. "You've never met Chrollo before, right?"

"He..." After a slight pause, he folded his hands in his lap neatly, looking out over the island. "He's my older brother's acquaintance. I've seen him before."

"Really?" He fiddled with adjustments a bit more, absent minded as he responded. "And what did you think of him?"

The pad of Kalluto's thumb ran over the smooth fabric of his kimono. He remembered the day the Phantom Troupe leader had come onto their grounds per Illumi's request. Kalluto had first noticed something was amiss at Mike's howl, the one that was hoarse, gargled, and shot through the mountainside, sending shivers up his spine. Five at the time, Kalluto had hastily left his mother's side to rush to the scene, full of brimming curiosity that demanded to be satisfied.

It took him far longer than it should've to arrive at the site, for his mother had only just started insisting he wear kimonos _(they look best on you, dear)_. It confined the movement of his legs and back then, the long sleeves had gotten frequently snagged on whatever he happened to pass by. As a Zoldyck, he'd been exposed to their entire estate from birth, so he knew the area like he did the back of his hand, but the clothing was difficult to walk in, let alone run in. By the end of it all, his clothes were dirtied, the pattern of the fabric unrecognizable.

As he was looking down at the mud with distaste and cursing whoever thought it was a good idea to invent this sort of restrictive clothing in the first place, his sharp nose caught on a new scent. Not dirt, not pine. Blood.

There was the familiar lingering in the air that Kalluto had grown accustomed to, a smell that he could easily identify anywhere. But there was something else mixed in as well. Something foreign, almost overwhelming and, as he could see, it was dark. Much too dark, nearly black.

It was Mike's blood. Strong, gigantic Mike, who had been around for goodness knows how long, their guard dog that had never even broken a sweat when dealing with outsiders, was bleeding from a deep gash in his leg.

The man at fault was standing off to the side, an intricately carved knife held tightly in his grip. There was a large slash on his chest, clearly the doing of Mike's sharp claws. Blood dripped down his arms, and he was supporting his stomach, but Kalluto awed at how he was otherwise unfazed by the injury. He wasn't a Zoldyck. How could he do such a thing?

It was only for a mere second that they paused when they noticed Kalluto was present before they continued to fight, a flurry of stabs and swipes.

As it turned out, Illumi was already present and was observing this man as he bled and fought, only finally stopping him when he was noticed. "Not bad," he'd stated, finally whistling at Mike to stop attacking.

Illumi had walked off with the young man at his side, offering for the butlers to bandage him up as they passed by Kalluto, brushing him off to the side as he talked.

Back then, the man had glanced over his shoulder. He'd looked back at Kalluto, and for a single moment, it felt all too close and intimate, like he was being observed and analyzed down to his very atoms. For once, it felt like someone was paying attention to him.

The crushing weight of his gaze lifted as the man's eyes—wide and dark, but somehow filled with much more than Illumi's would ever be—crinkled at the corners as he nodded towards him. He'd dipped his head: "Miss."

Kalluto couldn't bring himself to say anything as Illumi and the man left him behind. The injured Mike left him as well, going off somewhere to lick his wounds. He didn't need any background to understand what the word that had been spoken to him meant. He had all but forgotten he was wearing the silk kimono, the one of his mother's choice.

His mother had soon come along and scolded him for leaving her side _(stay with Mother, dear)_ and he accompanied her to the mansion, sleeves of silk repeatedly getting caught on the bushes. He couldn't see the dark fabric against the dark ground, he couldn't breathe, but he forced himself to draw up and walk on forward. He tried to argue with his mother about the kimono, about its impractically and he didn't _like_ it, in vain.

It was strange, how thinking of his first interaction with the Phantom Troupe's leader brought so many other thoughts to mind.

_(Don't mind him, Kalluto dear.)_

_(It matches your figure.)_

_(Listen to Mother.)_

The absence of fiddling noises was what brought Kalluto back to Greed Island. Shalnark's green eyes were staring curiously, and his hands had ceased to work.

Kalluto straightened, for his spine had slouched without his consent, and answered the question from before. "Chrollo is very collected. He fights well enough."

A laugh burbled out of Shalnark like water from a fountain. "Whatever you saw, he fights a lot better than _'well enough'_ , trust me. He's our Danchou for a reason!" He finished with the binoculars and glanced once at the man they were spying on to confirm he was still there before turning to Kalluto. "Danchou certainly isn't the strongest out of us brawn-wise, but his speed is incredible and his overall potential fighting power is even more spectacular. His Hatsu ability is truly something else too. It was a mess when he first made it, but... I'm going to say this again, but overall, his average is something extraordinary."

"Shalnark."

"Specialist Nen works with concepts and I think he captured the essence of the Spiders perfectly. The more it clicks, the more it works, and the mastery needed to use the many abilities he can is hard to achieve. Of course, he can't do anything without his Nen, so we need to get that chain restriction off of him as soon as-"

 _"Shalnark,"_ Kalluto pressed urgently. He tilted his head towards the man they were tracking, eyes widening to emphasize his point. _"Look."_

Finally stopping, he did, lifting up the fixed binoculars to the sight. The man was moving awkwardly, jerking this way and that, an extremely difficult task with the Nen creature buried under his bulky clothing. Dark lines streaked past him, but one caught on his arm. When he pulled it out, the glint of metal could be seen.

Arrows?

It took a while for Shalnark to process what was happening, but as soon as he did, he propelled himself out of the tree and sprinted, motioning for Kalluto to come along. The boy obeyed as they raced down the mountain and flitted through the underbrush to get to the man before it was too late.

Their Nen exorcist was being targeted.

* * *

"Thank you," Zushi whispered to the cat as he slid the key off its neck. Out of habit, he almost ended up bowing to it before stopping himself and jerking back upwards—an odd bobbing motion.

The two girls watched from the base of the tower as he rushed back toward them, key in hand.

"What was he doing?" Rein asked, referring to the weird bowing pattern.

"He's strange indeed," Ponzu said softly, a melancholy smile on her lips. The look in her eyes seemed a bit dazed before she cleared her throat, pulling the expression back taut. She stepped aside to let him through. "Good job with the cat. I thought it wouldn't warm up to us in time. It was a good idea, to wait for the creature to come to us instead of chasing it."

"Thank you. I-what?" Zushi looked down at the doorknob, puzzled. He pushed, and it didn't open. He refused the help offered to him and pressed his shoulder against it lightly, but it didn't give. He pursed his lips, and jiggling the knob, rammed the door with his entire side, forcefully flinging it open.

A groan sounded, and someone curled up on the ground.

"Oh, I'm sorry, di- _Lucky-san!"_ Zushi shouted frantically, dropping to inspect his injury as his hands flew about him, energetic with nervous energy as he apologized over and over and tried to help. "Are you okay?!"

Lucky held his ankle, gritting his teeth into a smile. "That's some strength you got there."

Zushi fretted and he stumbled through the actions of getting Lucky further into the building, with her help. Rein quickly took Lucky's shoe as the boy continued to apologize, and took notice of his clover-patterned sock as he rolled it off his ankle himself to inspect the damage. Lucky grimaced through it all, but forced himself to bring his ankle closer to his chest for a better look.

"See?" he tried to reason with Zushi, pointing to a red mark that was already fading. "It isn't that bad."

They continued to talk back and forth, exchanging apologies and explanations and overall trying to not make the other feel uncomfortable as they got up and the boy went under Lucky's arm to help him wobble, while the other tried to get back down and insisted he didn't need help.

"Well," said Killua, appearing right next to Rein, who jumped. "I told Lucky to leave the door alone, but he insisted on helping whoever was outside get in. This is why he's always getting hurt. It was the same too, during this exam phase." He shrugged. "Ever see an unconsciousness cat?"

Rein blinked. "How exactly did you end up getting the key?"

"Me neither. Aside from this whole mess," Killua continued, smirk teasing. His eyes slid to Zushi for a split second before meeting her brown ones again, the playful light from before replaced with something more serious. "Where'd you guys go, ditching us like that?"

She raised her gaze to the ceiling to try and remember.

"Back then!" His voice was hushed now, and hurried. "You know, that fat old geezer with nothing better to do than engage in social interaction, you and Zushi just up and disappeared."

"Oh, that? There was another person who said he was a rookie crusher, so she tried to get us away from..." Rein looked around, but there was no sign of Ponzu. "That's weird, she was just here."

His eyes narrowed. "She." There was only one other female still in the running besides Rein, and he'd seen her before. Not just during the last Hunter Exam, no. (She stood out with her neon hair, but she'd been pretty boring then, and he hadn't paid attention to her much. He had a suspicion that arrow boy had a thing for her, though.) Killua caught glimpses of her now and then throughout all these phases, always turning back her head as soon as he made eye contact. He hadn't thought much of it at the time. She'd openly participated in the third phase, so he'd thought she had nothing to hide. But with the development of her secretive actions, intentional or not, doubt brewed at the back of his throat, bitter. It painted her as suspicious, and once Killua saw someone as such, there was no going back. Perhaps she was friendly. Perhaps she was not. There had to be a motive.

"Uh, yeah. She." Rein waved around a finger. "You know, of the female kind. Spot on."

"That's not-" Killua gave up. With so little to go on, any observations he made would be meaningless, as did any deduction. "She probably went off to one of the resting areas. Zepile's there now, making a few calls and catching up with auctions or whatever. He thinks it's fun."

"Ah, so that is where they are. Come to think of it," Zushi turned his head around the inside of the tower briefly. The interior of the structure was rather vast, with some sectioned off areas for applicants to relax in. He scanned all of these quickly, unable to find who he was searching for. "Where's Tonpa-san?"

Killua grinned.

"Now that you mention it, I haven't seen him around," Lucky butted in from his seat on the floor, tugging his loose sock back over his ankle. He rolled it around to test for pain. "Did he even enter the tower at all?"

Killua grinned even wider.

_"The phase is now over. Please make your way to the exit."_

The announcement clicked off as the crackles bounced around the stone interior, and Rein just about shuddered at the memories the sound brought back. Lucky and Zushi walked towards the door as instructed, the rest of the applicants starting to trickle back as well. She stayed behind, inspecting the smug smile on his face.

He finally caught on her staring and took an unconscious step back. "What?"

"Spill."

Killua scoffed. "Nothing you would disagree with. You said he was a rookie crusher, so you should be glad I... I..." His ears reddened as she leaned in closer, daring him to say otherwise. Trying another scoff to cover up how he was actually feeling, he stared right back, slitting it into a concentrated glare. He refused to crack.

She blinked. "Okay."

...okay?

Rein shrugged. "You aren't going to tell me, so there's no use in trying. Peer pressure is nice, I've never tortured anyone before, and it's a minor thing. I can totally just drop it and let this go!" she exclaimed, a voice just a tad bit too high. Where was her normal competitive demeanor?

"You... can?"

"Yeah!" She grabbed his elbow and started to lead him back towards the exit, blabbering about the Exam. "I can ignore this completely, it's entirely your choice if you want to tell me or not! No pressure at all, I'm not curious anyways!" she piped.

Killua was horrified.

Who was this person.

It wasn't until she snickered in his ear that he understood her odd actions: "Nice job pinning him to the face of the cliff. How'd you do it?"

* * *

Rein was puzzled as to why the small group she'd come to be with during the Hunter Exam was crowded in the corner. She pushed her way to the front and came face to face with a man, swathed in black with delicate yet sharp features carved into his porcelain skin. "Feitan?"

"Rein," he answered, scratching the chin of the feline set atop his lap.

Rein had to admit, she had convinced herself Feitan would make it, that he would easily pass. But she hadn't even caught sight of him since the first phase of the Exam, so no matter how sure she had been, seeing him before her now took a terrible weight off her chest that she hadn't known was there. She had learned first hand that the Spiders were not the immortals she once believed them to be.

For now though, she was far more concerned about the furry abomination settled comfortably beneath his fingertips. "What's that?"

"Name is Bacon. Good cat."

 _"Bacon,"_ Killua repeated slowly, wondering whether this Spider actually had a sense of humor and just was messing with them, or whether he was serious and would kill them all on the spot if they questioned him.

Neither Lucky, Zepile, or Zushi could bring themselves to respond. It was clear Lucky was holding back a laugh for a strange feeling that he could only classify as terror, while the other two seemed to be in the same state of shock.

Rein chuckled at the name. "Are you sure, names are important, Fei, you can't..." She froze in place as he locked eyes, bloodlust emanating from even the tips of his raven hair.

His glare sent chills down their spines as he stroked the cat once more, eye contact never wavering. The cat purred and rolled in his lap, satisfied.

"His name," said Feitan, "is Bacon." 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The concept of Kalluto is so cool? And precious? Like he joined the Troupe to find Killua how cute is that plus he really loves his family but no one seems to really pay attention to him least of all his mother who he always accompanies and ACK. I hope to give him the love he deserves.


	42. One Over the Other

Beans cleared his throat. "Eleven applicants have made it through to this final phase," he said, looking down at the paper. He then clasped his hands behind his back, the surface of his bright green head shining in the light as the list crinkled. "Feel free to roam around the airship or wait in your rooms. We'll call you individually on the speakers when ready."

Most of their eyes were on the small man—was he even one? His name, Beans, seemed to describe him best—as he quickly left their side, and all their previous examiners followed him.

The only one who wasn't watching was Feitan, who had no interest in the examiners, Zushi, who was practically vibrating from concealed joy at being on yet another airship, and Zepile, who was clutching the back of the boy's collar in an attempt to calm him down and keep him from running off or accidentally crashing into a wall from delight.

Feitan was comfortable where he was. It was relatively quiet in his spot. The applicants he didn't know or care about hadn't spoken a word since getting on the small ship, and the loud kids were being babysat by the man with too much eyebrow. But even their loud droning was offset by the fern that separated them, the plant being a barrier between him and their world. There was a muffled tone to his corner of the universe, and there was a warm, almost reassuring, fuzzy weight atop his legs. He let his own head dangle to the side and nearly closed his eyes, setting his hand atop the cat.

The crackling of the speakers echoing through the halls shook him—ever so slightly, hardly at all, if you asked him. It seemed to be a recurring theme. He hated it.

There was a momentary pause. _"Mr. Feitan, please report to the exam office."_

Exhaling, he rose with a scowl, clicking his tongue once to signal the cat to jump off.

He looked at Bacon, with his torn up ears, one of them half chewed off and the other dangling floppily. There seemed to be no damage to his inner ear, but the scars reached down pretty low, as if they'd been that heavily wounded before. Bacon was rather without fat, as contradictory as that was according to his name. He was rather skinny beneath layers upon layers of fur. Darker grey stripes lined his ash-colored back, the fur a bit knotted and matted in some places but otherwise soft. Feitan had already weeded out most of the prickly burrs in Bacon's thick coat anyway, and without those in the way he was rather pleasing to pet. The areas that weren't soft were the remains of his battle scars, but he liked petting those too. Bacon was a cat, and all of him was perfect.

Cats were good because cats were not people. Feitan did not like people.

There was a peculiar sense of tingling at the corners of his lips when he started towards to where that bean was, and he caught the sight of Bacon stretching before nonchalantly tailing him out of the corner of his eye. Snatching a piece of bacon off the counter top as he passed by, Feitan tossed it to the cat, who gobbled it up greedily before continuing to follow his footsteps, all the way to outside of the room.

He'd felt the aura of that neon-headed girl a long time ago, wandering anxiously out in the hall after pretending to have gone to the bathroom. It was buzzing, alive, and now it was fluttery and tangled up in a frenzy. As soon as Feitan took a step outside, he found it off how her body was sitting quietly by the window with her expression even more indifferent. Her unmastered aura gave it away, troubled, sad. Maybe a little bit more than just sad.

Her aura was not big. Compared to the potential Nen of all the other applicants that had passed thus far, hers was probably the weakest. But her mental state couldn't have gone unnoticed. Yes, they were all weak and couldn't compare to him, but maybe, maybe Rein had matured enough. By now, she could probably take notice of the girl's—

"Ponzu! What are you doing out here?"

"R-Rein!" The girl named Ponzu was startled when her name was called, and jumped when she saw Feitan also out in the hallway.

"Come on." Rein took her wrist, all smiles. "Zepile said he'd buy us drinks so we're going to go take advantage of his wallet." She tugged at Ponzu's thick cotton sleeve, completely oblivious to her dark and unapproachable state.

It seemed Feitan had been too gracious. Rein was an idiot and knew nothing.

"W-Wait." When Rein let up, Ponzu took in a breathy gulp of air. "He'll get me one too?"

"Well yeah. I don't pay for things, Killua and Zushi don't have money, and Lucky's broke. I'm sure one more person won't make much of a difference to an adult."

"No, it's... you're inviting me?"

Rein's barreling actions slowed. "Why can't I?"

Ponzu's expression changed from stunned to touched as she righted to walk by the girl's side. She took one look at her phone that Feitan hadn't noticed was there, her eyes lingering on the screen. She tucked it back into her pocket. Nodding, a smile graced her lips.

"Oh. Hey, Fei," Rein said when she finally caught sight of him. Her head cocked to the side just a slight bit, questioning. She seemed to be in deep thought for a minute, deciding whether to open her mouth and ask whatever question she had. If it was about Bacon, Feitan already knew what sort of response he would give, but if it wasn't? Rein had asked Ponzu, whom she barely knew, to join her group to get drinks. Feitan was an adult and not nearly as close in age to the mere children that the others were, but he'd known Rein for longer. It wouldn't be a surprise if she wanted him to join, rather obvious, really. 

He was not— _not_ —bitter when the question that came out was: "Shouldn't you be at the office by now?"

Feitan scowled. With Bacon tailing him and a glower set in stone on his face, he walked off, ignoring Rein's confused calls.

Ah, yes. Feitan did not like people.

The door to the office room was open, so he walked right on in. The room had no openings aside from the ajar door, and the few light bulbs didn't help much, instead only sending a shining beam of light across the chairman's secretary's head. "What do you want," he spat at the green abomination.

"Ah, Mr. Feitan!" Beans said, pleasantly surprised. He gestured warmly to the open chair in front of him. "Please take a seat. We're about to commence with your final exam phase."

* * *

Unentered number  
Fifth phase, very high chance that Aira will pass.

Kurapika  
Brilliant

Kurapika   
But I still require an update on her more personal movements, recent ones.

Kurapika   
Why haven't you gotten this to me?

Kurapika   
Respond.

Kurapika   
Hello

Kurapika   
You mentioned you made it into her friend group.

Unentered number   
Well, I wouldn't go so far as to say that, but in short, I suppose.

Unentered number  
Yeah, I think so

Unentered number  
Yes.

Kurapika   
Then get the information quickly.

* * *

"Who're you texting?" Zushi asked, swinging himself over the top of one of the chairs to look at Zepile's phone.

"Hey!" he exclaimed, flipping it shut. "You can't look at people's messages, it's rude," he chided. Seeing how the boy's face started to be downcast, he looked for a quick recovery. Kid was sweet. Maybe he'd been too harsh? His fallen expression was just so depressing. "Checking in with a friend for the auctions," he answered promptly, slipping his phone into his coat pocket. "I have to check in a lot. I used to make fakes, but I'm trying to get them off the market."

Zushi sat down properly. "You used to be a criminal?"

"Y-yeah." He pulled up his sleeve and rubbed his hand over the bandages wrapped on his arm, the arm Feitan had injured on the way to the Hunter Exam. He didn't look the kid in the eye. "I'm not proud of it. It was fun at first, but it wasn't what I really wanted. I did some time for it too, and..." he blushed, "I did a lot of stupid things when I was young, and I regret all of them."

"All?" Zushi repeated quietly. He looked up to the man with his round hazel eyes slowly, unable to believe what he'd just heard.

"Just because someone's nice doesn't mean they can't do horrible things," commented Killua, pushing coins into the vending machine. He retrieved his chocolate milk before walking over to them, a solemn look on his face. "That's just how people are. We have many faces, and that alone can cause anyone to snap."

Zepile was concerned at how this only served to make the small boy more depressed. "Hey, Killua-"

"How do you know?" asked Zushi. "Personal experience?"

"Yeah," Killua answered casually, breaking the seal of his drink. "I was an assassin. I killed people pretty much daily."

"You wha-"

"I knew it!" Rein appeared from behind a corner, Ponzu following close behind. "You're a Zoldyck, aren't you?"

He snickered. No use hiding it. "Born and raised. Not one of them anymore though. My mom's so needy and the pressure from my brothers was a lot worse. I wanted my own life, you know?" Killua took a swig from the plastic bottle, and a chocolaty mustache was left on his upper lip.

"Zepile-san and Killua..." Zushi was overwhelmed by the information. He looked to Rein, eyes wide. "Don't tell me you..."

She blew a small, apologetic raspberry, joking. "You do not want to know."

Zepile couldn't say he was surprised. Rein was a nice girl and all, but her short, shady friend was a pretty obvious hint to the fact that her hands weren't clean. With what he'd heard from Leorio—the Phantom Troupe—what other possibility was there? But she was like him, he suspected. Maybe not entirely past it, but developed and a bit reformed. Not that he had any basis to assume so. That aside, he was trying unsuccessfully to keep from laughing at Zushi's utter look of betrayal.

"You too?" he almost squeaked from stress. He looked at Ponzu, who merely shrugged with a grin playing on her face. He faced Lucky, coming back from the vending machine, drink in hand. "What about you?"

"What, me? Crime?" Lucky pulled at an invisible collar proudly. "I was a pretty bad boy," he bragged. "I shoplifted a head of lettuce when I was, like, fiv-"

 _"Lucky-san!"_ Zushi whined.

They all laughed at his misery, and pretty soon, the boy joined them in the infectious air. Some of them were bent over, chuckling, and they couldn't stop.

They all sat together like they did on the last airship, in a makeshift corner with drinks, except this time Ponzu was added into the mix. Zushi was dragging over a sofa cushion from the room before when he noticed her, looking down at her phone. He wanted to ask, he did. But Zepile said it was rude to look, and besides, Wing had always scolded him on nosiness. But he was a curious boy at heart, and he found his eyes going back and back. He wanted to ask so bad.

It was Rein to came to his rescue. "Are you texting your boyfriend?" she asked her, getting straight to the point.

In the background, Killua choked on his milk at the suddenness. How chuckling burned.

Ponzu jumped, and immediately shut off her phone entirely. She seemed a bit shaken, pulling away and attempting to smile. "I-! Pokkle is _not_ -!" She froze.

Rein leaned in at the name she'd said. "Pokkle is...?" she prodded.

Ponzu adjusted the hat on her head, if only to find something to do with her hands. "Pokkle," she stated, "is not worth spending your time on, and none of your business."

* * *

"What do you do for a living?" Beans questioned, plumed pen at the ready.

"What do you care," Feitan answered, leaning back in the chair disrespectfully. Bacon swirled and twisted his way around the chair legs below him.

"Noted." The scribbling sounds on his notepad was enough to make him irked. "Why did you come to take the Hunter Exam?"

"No."

"I see." More scribbling noises. "What kind of Hunter do you aspire to be?"

This time, Feitan didn't answer at all, the room filled with the booming of the ticking clock and Bacon's soft purrs.

Beans set down his pen, the sound unbearably loud in the silent room. "Is there something personal that is bothering you?"

That was it for Feitan. He stood up, the impact from the back of his calves sending the chair flying into the wall. The cat scrambled and made its way to the door, licking a paw with a calm demeanor. Feitan glared at Beans' large eyes, a pinpoint black that was locked squarely on him. Fei growled under his breath, but the green creature didn't flinch, instead folding his hands neatly in his lap and settling back as Feitan approached him from the other side of the table.

Muttering a single curse in his mother tongue, he observed. The man, this inhuman creature, was not scared. He must have been confident that there was no way an applicant would attack an examiner, as that would result in the applicant being disqualified. But Feitan had no obligation to get a license. If he failed here, no one would care, least of all him.

He was ticked, and this man was adding to it. Subtracting from his misery was in his own interests, and he didn't care about anyone else's. The others would pass even if the examiner died, so really, why was this even alive?

Feitan wanted to wipe that polite, fake smile off its bulbous head.

Nails sharpening, his arm swept forward with the grace and power he'd mastered, a move that could slice through multiple bodies and even thick metal.

And a single hand stopped him.

"Now, now, there's no need to resort to violence."

Expressing surprise on the battlefield was a sure method to alert your opponent that you were weaker, that they could take advantage of you and go about the rest of their day. But seeing how the only point of damage was his shredded glove, he sucked in too quick of a breath before biting the inside of his lip to cover it up.

Beans was unscathed.

"Forgive my prying," Beans said calmly, slipping off his destroyed gloves, "but are you from Meteor City?"

Like before, Feitan raised a judgmental eyebrow and didn't reply.

"I'm not stereotyping. I am not the type to do that. But from your response, it seems my suspicions have been confirmed." He sat back down, and gestured for the Spider to do the same. "How could I not recognize someone from my homeland?"

For the first time since he'd entered, Fei realized he was answering; actually conversing with this man. Hesitantly, he inquired, "Meteor?"

"Yes," he chirped amiably. "Second generation. Can you guess where I lived?"

Feitan's eyes swept over his taut, shining skin, which was an unnatural shade of green no matter which way you looked at it. His too short of a plump figure, and his stubby hands that held a set of fingers with incomplete joints. The shape of his head, round yet firm, and without a visible nose or ears to match. "The radioactive dump."

He nodded, not affected by the staring in the slightest. "Correct. We are separate individuals, with different origins, but they're rooted in the same place, aren't they? To outsiders, it may be impossible, but we have a way of telling, don't we? That we're of the same people."

Fei hadn't been back to the dump in a long time, but now that he knew, this man's connection to the city was obvious. Maybe he should pay a visit back there soon, to tone his memory.

"We have a legacy of being stepped on and destroyed, but also of being powerful. I am the chairman's secretary and a retired two-star Hunter for a reason. Now please," he pleaded simply, picking up his pen once more. "Will you continue with my questions?"

Sitting down, Feitan did exactly as he requested, an imagined wafting of smoke and hot summer days lingering in his mind. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I read somewhere that Beans was from Meteor City and my brain went "ding ding ding! Idea has arrived!" so yes he is green from radiation. (I don't know how science works, but we're gonna go with that).


	43. Chapter 43

Unentered number  
are you available?

Kurapika  
Why? Was there a recent development?

Unentered number  
Not exactly. Now the fifth phase is underway, but it seems to be nothing much.

Kurapika  
If that is the case, please refrain from contacting me. I only asked for frequent updates regarding the Exam itself and her location and intentions. Anything other than those two, aside from points that seem crucial, I do not require. I am taking time out of my busy workday to respond. Good day.

Unentered number  
See, that's what I wanted to talk about. The formality. Is it really necessary?

Unentered number  
You know I'm not an extremely formal person, and while you signed me up under terms of business, its not exactly that, is it? I know there's more.

Unentered number  
You don't have to let me know all of everything, but could we start off in a way that I can understand what you need?

Unentered number  
um

Unentered number  
hello?

_read at 5:55 am_

* * *

Feitan headed down the hall, trying to scowl but unable to. The rest of his interview had gone smoothly, and Beans had let him know they would call everyone together later for the results, a faint smile on his face as if nothing had happened. With his shredded gloves sticking out from the pocket right above his heart, though (if his anatomy was even normal), Fei knew that it had indeed happened.

He knew there were strong people, some perhaps even stronger than him. He was not invincible, but he supposed that perhaps, he had allowed himself to think—to foolishly believe—that he was. There were few people in this world who could beat Feitan in an all-out fight, and Beans wouldn't be one of them. Feitan knew he was stronger than him, but only by a small degree.

It had been a long time since he had that realization shoot through him, that taking damage was a high possibility. That times would come where his well-being would be threatened.

For a moment, for a flitting moment, Feitan wondered if this was how Uvogin felt when he faced the chain user.

When he turned the corner, he found himself in the hallway, a vending machine to his left and his group farther up ahead, upon beanbags and blankets and sitting together. Some were reading, some were on their phone, some were enjoying a drink. It's absurd how he ended up here—it was either pure chance or being drawn to a source of young, inferior potential—but he continued to make his way toward them, boots falling silent on the carpet.

_"Mr. Zushi, please come to the main office."_

Feitan stopped walking.

The boy in question bid farewell to his friends and greeted the Spider as he passed him by ("Oh, hello there, Feitan-san!"), nervously tugging at his collar for the exam ahead. His gaze was caught and his raven head dragged back for a few moments as the boy brushed by his shoulder. Somehow, now, _now_ of all times, he finally looked familiar.

"Fei!" Rein called him over, waving a can of soda in the air.

He went quickly, cutting off any other attempts made to speak to him, getting straight to the point. "Hey," Feitan kept his voice low as he jutted out his jaw at the receding boy's back, "his name is Zushi?"

* * *

At the lack of people, Zepile sighed at Killua, the only one left. "Why is it that whenever we sit down, everyone leaves within the span of thirty seconds?"

He simply shrugged. Zushi had gone off per the orders of the chairman's secretary, Ponzu disappeared again to do god knows what, Lucky had tried to open Rein's dropped can of soda and had accidentally drenched himself in soft drink, and as for Rein herself, the Spider had blinked at her once before grabbing her by the collar and dragging her off with some harsh, secretive muttering.

"Killua, is something bothering you?"

"What?"

"Oh, uh..." there was a hint of embarrassment in his tone, "...just thought something was up since... well, since the third phase, actually, but if it's nothing..." Zepile failed to finish his run-on sentence and instead lit a cigarette.

Killua gave a disinterested response on the outside. Internally, however, his thoughts and feelings were quite another matter.

The third phase, in which Zepile faced certain death and Killua had been knocked unconscious because he'd somehow been able to evade that certainty. Killua was fast. But he wasn't nearly as fast enough to do what he'd done back then. Of course, he didn't remember anything much from the incident himself, other than being flung into the explosion and the man away from it before everything went black.

No matter which way he tried to untangle the trick, he got nowhere. With his current body, his current strength, it just wasn't possible to cover that distance in that time frame. He couldn't fly, now could he?

Could he?

Holding up his fingers, he let some electricity zap between them. Electricity was fast, faster than anything a human could ever hope to accomplish. With this, he would've gotten there on time. If he used his Hatsu, that would have been the only explanation why Zepile was alive, and why the explosion had occurred.

Could his Hatsu have other uses?

Zepile was still talking (Killua hadn't listened to a thing he'd said) when there was a sudden rush in the air, and his fingers burned. At the far end of the hall, the cigarette he'd been holding thunked against the window.

"Killua?"

A pant.

"You okay?"

Killua's chest heaved, and he could feel sweat already perspiring as beads on his forehead. His entire body was numb, the ground swaying beneath his feet. "Yeah," he said, white stars pricking at his vision. "Totally."

His Hatsu held much more possibilities than he'd originally planned for it. With some practice and training, he could perhaps move as quick as lightening itself. But for now—he dropped to the ground, pressing back against the wall—he wasn't physically able to accomplish it.

He'd have to bring it up with Bisky when he got back to Greed Island. She was a harsh master to train under, but he would be lying if he said she wasn't a good mentor. He'd always liked getting stronger. And under Bisky's high-pitched screaming and furious fists, he was sure his Nen would bloom into something spectacular. It wouldn't be controlled, like how the Zoldyck system worked. His potential could branch out freely, dangerously. And he planned on doing just that.

He pondered for a bit and reached his decision.

 _Godspeed_.

Had a nice ring to it.

"If you're sure you're fine," said Zepile slowly, eyeing Killua's fatigued state.

He smiled faintly. Training with Illumi had focused much on remaining stoic and making sure others would never see how you felt, never see your pain, your torment, anxieties. Of course, he wasn't as deep into it as his brother was. But it still seeped into his actions, his default poker face. Yet his mask hadn't covered it all, and Zepile had noticed it from the very start.

"You should quit the auctions," he asserted. "Be a teacher or a therapist or a doctor or something."

An involuntary snort came from him. "Thanks, but I'll pass. I don't want to give up my lifeblood, that and I have to make up for my past actions. Plus, there's no way I can handle two jobs at once."

"Then be a dad." Killua went on casually as Zepile's face started to redden. "You'd be a good dad. You're nice, you like kids, you're super passive and easy to take advantage of, you take everyone seriously. That's the dream. Just go find a girl, romance her, and get-"

" _Okay,_ Killua, I think that's enough," he interrupted, sputtering.

"See? You're getting into the role already."

* * *

No matter which roundabout way he went, Rein was not getting it. "I know you talked to Machi about number eight," he accused.

"I, uh..."

How did she not get it, it was so obvious what he was trying to say-! He sighed. "Remember anything?" At the pursing of her lips, Feitan gave up. "Zushi," he said. "Son of number eight."

Finally, it seemed to click. "Eight? Temmi or whatever? Her? Him?" Her breathing was rushed as she continued to mutter realizations and excuses before finally turning tightly on her heel to face him. There was still a hint of doubt on her face. She knew she should trust Fei's words, but the uncertainty lining her features was plain to see.

But Feitan had evidence. "I heard entire backstory. Eavesdrop. Story matches with what I know happened." His voice was almost hoarse from all the voluntary talking. "Eight made up name. I don't think anyone else would have it."

"Fei, are you absolutely, without-a-doubt sure?" she asked, eyes wide to stress the importance of her words.

"I'm never wrong," he snapped. That deep collarbone, the short cut hair with a brown that had completely clashed against his mother's hue, but the large eyes that were the exact same shape as hers. "I saw him when he was four, hasn't changed a bit."

Rein fell quiet, look brimming with questions and decisions before finally picking one. "Could he come back with us to Greed Island?"

"Why."

She faltered in her words as she tried to go on, to somehow explain. "I mean Zushi is only training, and Temmi would probably want her kid happy so, I don't know, if he could just know what happened and the truth, they would like, I mean, she, he, uh... it's right?"

Feitan let her rambling awkwardly trail off before he gave his opinion: "So?"

Rein was exasperated. "Fei."

He rolled his eyes. "Since when do you care what dead people want?"

The girl stayed silent, her fists squeezing tightly against her sides. Her gaze stayed fixed intently on the ground.

He sighed. Wondering whether to do it, Feitan finally gave her a single pat on the shoulder, letting it rest there. Why did everything seem to connect to Yorknew? Here they stood, thousands of feet up in the air, yet still haunted by the chain user. Feitan never forgot those they'd lost, but at the tiring stillness that overtook the air, perhaps he would've liked to.

"It's," her voice was hesitant, "what she would've wanted, at least probably. Can we?"

Feitan drew back his hand and stuck it deep inside his pocket. "I never liked eight," he started. "Know-it-all. Deaf. Not enough willpower. Breathed too loud. Made Phinks get all mushy faced, and his hands did weird things."

She tugged at a strand of hair as she tried to cover up her falling expression. "So that's a no?"

"I didn't say that."

Her face lit up. "So a yes?"

What Feitan just said was true. He hadn't liked number eight at all, and the other Spiders that had been present knew it. Aside from the part where her existence had been plain annoying, she had to go and seduce Phinks into talking about poetry. _Poetry._ And suddenly, he and Phinks' weekend drinking sessions had been replaced with many 'maybe tomorrow's and 'I'm busy today's, only for Feitan to track down the idiot and find him staring intently at a book with her. A book. Phinks, with a book. His dislike for her had really intensified after that. So in the few years she had been with the Spiders, Feitan had never thought of her as a part of his troupe.

During the time she was alive, that is. He hadn't hated her, only been a bit... because at first, _she_ had been alone and _he'd_ had a friend, and their roles had switched so quickly. The epiphany that while she wasn't his troupe but was still something more than a stranger came too late, only after her feet left the rail and he'd been too slow to make it.

And here was her son, with an eerily similar aura.

"I don't care," he stated. "You drag him along whether I like or not so whatever. I'll contact Shalnark."

She couldn't stop an excited cry from escaping her and tried to hug Feitan, who pushed away as soon as he could. Rein settled for a grin. Because his answer; it was definitely, _definitely_ a yes.

* * *

Each one-on-one session for the fifth phase took less than three hours, and soon, it was all over. After an anticlimactic, hour-long lecture, they were released as new Hunters from the airship, at the base of a Hunter Association branch, where the ship had so conveniently landed.

He could see Heaven's Arena from this balcony, which meant that somewhere down in the bustling streets, Wing was waiting for him to come back. Waiting, because he trusted him, right? Because he knew that Zushi was an obedient child and wouldn't delay once his objective was completed. Because he knew that whatever he asked of him would be his top priority. Because Wing knew that Zushi was the ideal student, one perfectly suited for the way of martial arts formality, loyalty, and training. The same thing over and over again, for an ultimate goal.

But all those things he knew, that was the old Zushi, and a simple few days away from his life showed him that it was repetitive, boring, and his world small compared to the vastness of the universe of others. The former Zushi was now gone, or perhaps he hadn't been there in the first place. It was shameful, a disgrace to everything he'd trained toward, but he didn't want to go back. 

Not to a life of money and competition.

His body wished to rest. His heart wished to drink his orange juice in peace without searching warily for malicious auras that wanted to do away with his spot on the 200th floor, and not have to be on guard every time he heard a small thud. His mind wished for the pressure of thousands of eyes on him to disappear forever. And he longed for a friend or two.

One striving to be strong and become a floor master shouldn't have them.

But he _wanted_ these things.

Want was such a strong feeling, a subtle greed that felt almost wrong to him. He would go apologize to Wing for it later, in fact, he was going to right this instant.

Rein had reached out to him, and he'd already taken the offer. There was no way he could back out on that now, for a promise was a promise. 


	44. Here

"Feitan." Kite dipped his head in greeting, his long hair almost brushing the ground. "A word, if I may."

Bacon swirled around his feet and purred as he replied: "What." He was busy. The exam was over, and he had to get back to Greed Island within the day. He was grateful it was only a short ship ride away, but it would still take time. He had no obligation to stay there any longer than he had to.

Kite looked fondly upon the cat and crouched down, clicking his tongue for it to come. It didn't, lingering behind Feitan's legs. Kite sighed. "I saved that cat on the side of the road. Its ears were near frostbitten, and two of his front teeth had to be removed from decay later on. He was in poor condition, but I somehow got him back up on his feet, so I thought to use it for my Exam phase."

It was obvious to see the cat was not at its peak. Why reiterate? This man was making light of him, wasn't he. Saying that with all this, the cat weak, that Feitan hadn't really deserved his spot on where he was now. "If that's all," he growled, only to be cut off.

"You're going to be an excellent Hunter, one day."

He cursed the surprised leap in his eyebrows.

"My mentor once said that any person who is good with animals is destined for adventures worthy of that of a Hunter. I trust those words deeply." Kite blinked at the cat, a way of smiling before bringing up his lanky figure once more. "You're the first he's grown fond of."

There was a still silence as Feitan gave no verbal response, only lowered himself to scratch Bacon behind his chewed-up ears and to mess up the height difference.

"I'm sure you had every intention of taking him after the Exam anyway, but since he was originally mine, I'm only here to officially state you are allowed to take him. I'm sure the cat will have no complaints."

 _"Bacon,"_ Feitan started, "is not mine. Not yours. He is own cat and he does what he pleases." He heard Rein calling for him from the front of the building, and he made his way there. A mess of grey fur and lemon eyes trailed his heels.

Kite let out a short chuckle, adjusting his cap further down his forehead, a goodbye tip of the hat towards the Spider. The cat, his own being, huh? "So he is."

* * *

"Guess this is where I say goodbye," Zepile said, hesitating for a brief moment before crushing them all in his large arms. For someone who spent his days on business matters, he was surprisingly strong. "It was fun, really," he thanked.

"There's absolutely no way you can spare another hour or so?" Zushi was already sweating. _"Please?"_ he squeaked out.

He laughed, but patted his shoulder out of concern. "Sorry, kid. I have to meet up with a friend. Don't worry, your mentor cares about you, and I'm sure he'll make whatever decision he does in your best interests. I'm sure you'll do just fine!"

"Y-yes," replied Zushi, unaware he was gnawing on his thumbnail, a suppressed bad habit that was cracking out again. "J-just f-f-f-fine..."

Killua slung his arm around him as Zepile left. The young boy's shaking rattled him to the very core, quite literally, almost as if he was trying to comfort a washing machine. "Your request won't be taken seriously if you look like _that_. Calm down a bit."

He tried to take a deep breath, his exhale still as trembly as his nerves. His eyes caught on another he knew, and he tried to call her over, desperate. "P-Ponzu-san! Wait!"

The girl looked over, her eyes questioning as she approached them. She decided not to try to talk to the shaking boy and instead turned to Rein. "I'm off to reunite with my team. Where will you be headed?"

"We _were_ going to go somewhere, but he," she tried to point subtly at Zushi, who was currently taking a water bottle offered to him by Lucky, most of it splashing onto the pavement as he tried to somehow compose himself. "He wants to come with us, so we're going to get permission from his guardian first."

"And after that?" Ponzu inquired.

"We'll meet up with my family and train." The truth slipped off Rein's tongue quickly.

"I see." Ponzu's eyes flitted to the side, and finally, she whispered, "Is he going to be okay?"

"That's a, uh, good question." Zushi did not appear to be all right in the slightest. His shaking had not stopped, and from the water spilled on his clothes, it was impossible to tell where the water ended and the nervous sweat began. Bent over on his hands and knees, Lucky was fanning him with his jacket.

Rein and Ponzu looked at each other, lips pursed. "Let's hope," they uttered simultaneously.

Ponzu seemed to be taken aback before throwing her head back and laughing, clutching her stomach. Rein didn't understand what was so funny yet offered a few lighthearted snickers, and as soon as Ponzu stopped and smiled with near tears in her eyes, she promptly became aware that this smile was the warmest she'd ever seen. During the Exam, Ponzu had laughed, yes. But not like this, and she had smiled, yes, but none as true as this one here. Perhaps this was how she was without the pressure on her.

"Hey, Ponzu?" she asked. "Why did you take the trouble to drag me and Zushi away from Tonpa?"

"You just... remind me of my siblings," she answered, looking at Rein with the same warmth from before, but it dimmed quickly. "Speaking of which, I should be getting back to them." She scribbled down her email on a notepad and left it with Rein as she ran off towards the airport.

"W-wait, Ponzu-san..." Zushi dropped his arms, dejected.

"Lighten up," Rein tried to order, but his depressing aura was rubbing off onto her. "We'll still be with you. My offer to kill him if he doesn't let you leave still stands."

Zushi hung his head and made a small whining noise, not sure whether the joke was consoling or further stress-inducing. Like a sapling, he withered under the sun, their gaze, the future, the present. Would he be able to pull this off?

"Stop moping."

Zushi did not.

Feitan, who had suddenly appeared, pulled him back up by the scruff of his collar and started to push him down the street. "Nothing will happen if you don't try." Leaving the cat behind, he dragged the group along. Feitan noticed that his quivering had changed into a more subtle vibrating. Good. For some reason, he could only feel the chopping wind above a ravine, and the swaying of a rope bridge high above it. Blinking once, that instant was gone, replaced with the summer heat. "Hūxī," he ordered, adding a few swears in his mother tongue into the mix.

"Feitan-san," Zushi said quietly, gaze softening. He pointed in the opposite direction. "My master's residence is that way."

* * *

Bowing was a tradition in Shingen-Ryu. After all, martial arts not only trained the body, but the mind and soul as well, for all these to be aligned was key in making a strong student. Being able to lower one's head proved that they indeed were wonderful students. If bowing alone represented how gifted someone was, Zushi would be perfect. He bowed every single day, every hour even for trivial things. It had been drilled to his core. To Wing, seeing the top of Zushi's head was a normality.

But somehow, the way that Zushi lay crouched on the ground this time, with his head pressed against the floorboards and pleading, was different than all the other times.

How could he put this? His form was no different. But his sheer _begging_ , this was something Wing had never seen. His student had never asked for much, but this way he did so now, as if he had a burning, driving force, a strong desire to _be,_ it was desperate.

He wanted this, didn't he?

"Get up," he said amicably, eyes curving up towards him. "I'll allow it. It's high time I let you make your own way in the world."

"Really?"

"Yes, really."

Wing had no concerns about it. Well, perhaps he held a few, but the boy was strong enough to handle whatever came his way. He had greatly improved in the past few months, starting to show the same rapid growth that Gon and Killua had not too long ago.

Killua, who was in the back of the room right now, inclined his head and mouthed a small "osu" as soon as he was acknowledged.

He viewed the others in the room, all watching this scene unfold and backing their friend. There was Killua of course, and one glance told Wing that he was still improving and honing his skill as of now. There was Lucky, whom he knew as a hard worker but tired out easily. There was a girl between them, brown hair flying as she sent Zushi a small smile. And then there was _him_.

Wing did his best to politely smile at the short adult, but set his aura on edge, a clear warning to the man.

He just knew this man was involved in whatever had dragged down his colleague years ago. He would have liked to believe it was fraud or drugs, or something other than what her blood soaked cardigan implied, but there was no denying it.

 _"I've gotten involved in some business,"_ she'd said, shoving the child into his hands. _Red dripped from her sleeve onto the toddler's brown hair._ The horrified look on her face as she rubbed it clean hastily, as if she'd hurt her own child, before snatching herself away was one that lingered in Wing's mind from time to time. _"H-he shouldn't be with... I shouldn't... Just take him,_ _take him_ _!"_

This coldness that emanated from the man, his murderous aura with an intensified version of what he'd felt in her voice was something Wing could not dismiss. He had trained himself to be critical, to analyze, to make no claims without any evidence. But as most of the excuses he used, he was an Enhancer at heart. He would ignore the lack of basis because his gut told him to.

He would let Zushi go, but to entrust his student to _him?_

Wing didn't notice he'd been glaring until the man returned his angry stare.

"I can," Zushi breathed, and jumped back in joy, exclaiming to his friends who grinned and didn't bother telling him they already knew.

He tried to calm him down, but it was as if his student was deaf to his words. "Wait, Zushi, we aren't done with the discuss-"

Zushi whipped back his head to shout at the man excitedly. "Hear that, Feitan-san? I can go!"

His face remained emotionless, but he granted him a slight nod. "Fine."

At that word, Wing paused. He let go of his thoughts and emotions for a moment to view from a clean angle. He'd never seen Zushi excited before, at least not to this extent. Here, he was jumping and shouting. He'd thought Zushi wasn't one to act like this. Wing had always believed he was just a mature child, and didn't engage in such emotions and acts, but here he was, his grin wider than he'd ever witnessed. Here, Zushi acted the age he was. Here, his eyes looked as if they would pop from their sockets and he would explode from delight.

Here, Zushi looked happy, so incredibly happy.

He gazed upon the sight a while longer before his student came up to him, bowing. "Thank you so much, Master! I am grateful!" The bounciness in even this rigid form caught his eye. "And you had something further to discuss?"

"Oh."

He hesitated before giving his answer.

Wing saw them off from the window. It had taken Zushi only five minutes to pack the little belongings he had, and bowed to him a final time while declaring words of thanks and apologies and promises to send postcards as soon as he figured out how to do it. But it was Zushi, his strong-willed, stubborn, head-strong, yet humble student. Though not exactly _his_ anymore, he supposed.

He watched as they headed down the street and returned a smile as Zushi turned back around frequently to bow a final bow many times over. He watched until they were all out of sight, waiting at the windowpane for what he hoped would be Zushi rushing back, a selfish feeling. His student was going to have great experiences in the outside world. He would be fine on his own.

He would be fine on his own.

With a wave at nothing, Wing finally forced himself to shut the curtains in the middle of the day and set about on brewing a cup of tea in the empty apartment.

* * *

"We'll meet in Greed Island again." Killua uttered these words and accepted a fist bump from Lucky as they made the promise and split up.

Feitan rushed them all to the airport, making them sprint all the way as if their training had already begun, which it indeed had, in his eyes at least. The airship ride to Yorknew was quick. Zushi meandered about the aircraft in an awe that never seemed to fade, and Feitan took a quick nap. As for Rein and Lucky, she asked whether he had any strings on him at the moment (which he did, tangled colors spilling from his inside pocket) and asked for another bracelet, plus a small favor. She talked about shining silver hair and the musty smell of animal furs that had been self-skinned, heavy pelts, mountains of empty beer cans, the rising moon on the night he disappeared, and the cold, cold ground where he currently lay. How she couldn't throw any other way than the fastball and curveballs he'd showed her, and how she wished he'd had the time to teach her more.

All this, his descriptions, what he'd done and what she wished she'd been able to tell him, it was all woven into another mess of a bracelet that finished just as the airship landed.

One made far too late, Rein decided as she stepped off at the airport where she had come to get Chrollo back, with Gon and Killua as technical hostages and Leorio bleeding from his side.

Per Feitan's order, they all made a mad dash towards their old base on the outskirts of Yorknew, he at the back and urging them to go faster. They arrived at the base in twenty minutes, the Spider unimpressed as he shooed them inside.

They walked on in, and Rein trailed a finger across the cracks of the cement walk. Grime came away at her finger tips as she paused, the others going a few steps ahead of her before realizing she'd stopped completely. "Can you wait a bit?" She went off to the side, drawn to a certain room. "There's someone I want to see first."

There were two crosses now.

Two mounds of cement that had forcefully been crushed to powder, both with fresh flowers decorating them; white lilies and red and pink carnations. The other three stayed at a respectful distance as she eased herself to the ground, trying not to disturb any of their mounds.

Rein twisted the two friendship bracelets off her wrists and set them on the wood, one of them blue and silver, the other orchid purple and grey.

She'd hoped for a response, but there wasn't any. She peeled herself from the ground and left with the others, the bracelets on the two mounds with the fresh flower petals surrounding them as she exited the room.

They came to the main room. Shalnark was waiting there for them, two extra slot cards in hand. The legs of his trousers were dirtied from the knees down, and a smear of grey decorated his cheek. A shovel lay in the shadows behind him, darkness concealed by his light.

Rein smiled at the sight. It felt good to be back. "Shal," she exhaled.

He smiled as they entered, waving the cards in the air. The console at his feet blinked its colors as he called, "Let's go."


	45. Greed Island

The grass swayed an unearthly green as they stepped out into the game. The two who'd never been there before could only gaze, breath taken.

"This is all virtual?" Lucky asked slowly.

"That's what they're trying to pass it off as," replied Shalnark, making sure they were following him and leading them into the trees. "But it's actually in the real world, just a tiring boat ride off the coast of Yorknew state. It's a Nen-based transportation method!"

Zushi nodded, eyes focused as if he was meticulously taking mental notes, as he most likely was. "Which type would that ability belong to?"

Shalnark seriously considered his question, deep in thought. "It really depends on the method you're using. If it's teleportation by means of gates or something alike, conjurer or manipulator. If you transport something by releasing your aura away from you, emitter. If you don't use either of these methods, probably specialist." He smiled at him. "Why? Are you considering your Hatsu, little boy?"

"Osu! But from your deduction, I see I still have much to learn!" Zushi stopped to bow. "Also, uh... could you refrain from calling me that? Please. No."

Shalnark laughed as he always did. It was never demeaning, never insulting. It just happened to be that he was sunshine and found the urge to shed it on others. He apologized quickly, light.

"Good. I'm nearing ten years of age now!" he declared.

"Ten? If that's the case, I have some good news for you." Shalnark refused to tell them what he meant with a knowing smirk that played at his eyes. Rein tried to pressure it out of him, with half-hearted threats and a few attempted punches, all of which he easily blocked. As he led the group further into the woods, they came to a stop at the base of a massive cliff.

"We moved base to keep track of the Nen remover," Shalnark explained, motioning towards them to approach the rock face. He pulled back a curtain of ivy to reveal a short passageway to an open area. Rays of light peeked through the other side and shone in their eyes when they stepped out beneath the rock. There was an open cliff face on one side with a rocky area next to it, a mix of reef and sea down the hill, and lush forest in between. "So we're holing up in here for now. It's your training space too!"

Feitan's eye twitched.

"Machi!" Rein suddenly shouted, swearing she saw a flash of pink amidst the grass. She broke into a dash towards to where she thought the woman was, and with a shrug at the other, Lucky and Zushi raced after her as well.

As soon as they were gone, Feitan pinched Shalnark's ear and yanked him down to his level. "This is _my_ training space," he hissed, breath furious. "Mine."

He only laughed as he tugged his ear away from his iron grip. "Sorry, Fei," he said, clearly not sorry at all about stealing the place they'd found together before the Exam had begun, "but it was the perfect location, you have to understand." He ran off after them, also shouting Machi's name and leaving Feitan scowling in his dust.

When Shalnark caught up with the group, he was faced with a dilemma. Not the dilemma behind him—he would deal with angry Feitan later—but instead, one concerning someone he had completely forgotten to inform them about.

"You're not Machi," Rein stated, tilting her head at their newest member.

"And you aren't supposed to be here," Kalluto returned, his stance already protected and ready to attack.

"Yes she is!" Shalnark interrupted, waving their hands at both of them to stop, calm down, and listen. With no advanced, set-in-stone Hatsu, Rein would have been at a disadvantage, but from the way her footing had been shifted like it always did before attack, he knew that she'd been ready to try and take the Zoldyck on. "I'll introduce you. This is Kalluto!" Shalnark exclaimed, grabbing the child by the shoulders to prevent any thoughts of escape. "He's replacing Hisoka as number four. His Hatsu ability is pretty cool too, and since he's already chosen, I think it's safe to say: feel free to ask him if you have questions!"

He didn't expect the smallest one—if he recalled correctly, his name was Zushi—to leap forward. "You have developed a Hatsu at your age? _I'm_ about your age! This is incredible, how did you ever come up with it?" Zushi's eager face was lit up with awestruck persistence as he awaited an answer.

Kalluto pursed his lips as he leaned away from the boy and his praises, sending a silent stare of disapproval Shalnark's way. "And they are?"

"Rein, Lucky, and you said your name was Zushi earlier, right?" With a curt nod of confirmation, Shalnark repeated, pointing at each of them and smiling. "They're training under Feitan for now, each for their own reasons."

"Oh." Kalluto released his tension and tilted his head. "Sorry for thinking you were outsiders."

"It's okay. I thought the same. Sorry for mistaking you for Machi," Rein replied, and stored away the pebble no one noticed she'd readied. "I thought saw her hair color."

"You must have been mistaken," he answered.

"Alright!" Shalnark said, clapping his hands together before the exchange could go any further. "I'll be giving you three a quick tour of the place, leave your things and all that, and then it's straight to training. Hope you're prepared," he warned delightfully, and looked back Kalluto's way while he shooed them off with only a few mild complaints from Rein. "You'll join later, won't you?" There was no time to respond as they quickly went from view. No doubt Shalnark believed he already had the answer, with the final radiant confidence he'd left. 

Kalluto sighed and turned to the tall grass behind him. "You can come out now."

Machi eased herself up out of the greenery, brushing off her outfit of any grains that had stuck to her. "Thank you," she stated plainly, stepping back out into the road. Her face was unreadable except for the one emotion that he couldn't comprehend. Perhaps confusion? Almost... embarrassment. "I suppose I wasn't prepared to-"

"You don't have to explain," he jutted in. "You have no obligation to tell me."

The woman simply nodded her acknowledgment and crossed her arms. She probably knew that Kalluto, despite his words of not needing an explanation, was trying to think of one at the moment. Perhaps he'd already come upon the answer. She doubted it though, from the fact that even she herself didn't know. She didn't know why she'd hid, and whether it was more from Rein or Lucky was a mystery as well. Machi had known the girl for years, so she can't have been the reason why she'd had the sudden and unreasonable urge to flee. And Lucky... looking rationally, she couldn't fathom why in the world she would ever have the need to flee from him. He was harmless.

Aura aside.

And the other boy. One look at him and Machi knew who he was; her eidetic memory didn't serve for nothing, after all. And his aura was rigid and concentrated, with a dash of something foreign mixed in, but there was no doubt about it. It was the same as number eight's. It was almost too easy to figure out, no wonder Feitan had dragged him back into the game.

"And?" Machi asked. "Are you going to join the training like Shal suggested? You won't have any need to, you surely know that."

Kalluto stiffened, and shuffled his way back towards base without a reply.

* * *

"I want to die."

"Lucky-san..." Zushi chided, though he was out of breath as well.

"I want to figuratively die," he corrected.

"Better," replied Zushi, and landed next to him on the ground in attempts to calm his booming pulse. There wasn't any pain when he flopped against the dirt, only a ragged tiredness that made him finally understand why Lucky liked to sleep so much.

"Move," groaned Rein, dragging herself over to them and crumpling just as the other two had done, forcing them to move aside so she could be between them. They welcomed her with racing hearts and words that came out more air than sound.

It had been roughly four hours since Feitan had started their training in a secluded area away from the other Spiders. All of them were at different levels ability-wise: Rein had been with the Spiders for as long as she remembered and had acquired various different types of guidance from each of them, Lucky had only started on taming his chaotic aura months ago, and Zushi had been molded by his controlled environment with a system of stakes, reward and discipline. As his entire plan had been ruined with another student in tow—he'd only planned for the former two; the child of a former Spider had _not_ been part of the picture—Feitan had decided that while he was coming up with new methods to develop the three of them at the same time, he would have them push their physical abilities to the limit, and then some.

Scale the cliff, fell a few trees for firewood and carry it, swim to the cove and back with weights, relocate a couple dozen boulders. If Lucky's aura was to get out of control during this grueling process, a thwack on the head ("Not something you use"). And he'd claimed this would be the easy stretch.

By Feitan's reasoning, this was more a day for stretching endurance. In his eyes, none of these were particularly hard, but these repeated actions were sure to do something to make them grow. If they used Zetsu, then he could save their Nen development for later, and if their Zetsu wasn't perfect, they would get practice trying. It was so simple.

Oh, how he would throw a fit if he saw them lying down now, their limbs going numb. Shalnark had truly been a lifesaver when he'd pulled Feitan away to talk to him about an important matter. They were all in different degrees of tiredness and pain, but they all needed a short break.

"I..." Rein relished the drugged-like languidness in her body as she forced herself to speak. "...have _never_ been worked this hard. I've been trained, sure. But like this? I didn't think Feitan could be this cruel."

There was a silence.

"That last part was a lie, but my point still stands." 

A laugh, combined with a small sigh that was mostly an excuse to take a deep breath. "I've never had anything as half as challenging as this. How much more stronger I would be if I was forced to go through this everyday... That doesn't mean Wing-san was bad!" Zushi hastily corrected himself. "He did his best to train me, ever since he started to care for me." Zushi turned his face toward Rein on the ground beside him. "I guess we're alike, Rein-san. Both orphaned and taken in." 

She gave the slightest of nods, not meeting his eyes. "You don't have to add that thing at the end. We're about the same age."

"If we're on that," Lucky added, breaking from his quietude, "do the same with me. No honorifics. Just 'Lucky' is chill."

Their view of the clear blue sky was obstructed by someone leaning over them. "Same here."

Zushi bolted up, straight as a pin to address him. "Kalluto-sa... oh, wait, no..." he muttered.

"Here I come to see how you guys are training, and you're sleeping on the ground," he said, vivid purple irises scanning the area thoroughly. "Cheating while the instructor is away."

"Of course we are." Rein propped herself up by the elbows, leaning back casually and stretching. Her grin was crafty and proud. "If you'd been with us for the past few hours, you'd do the same, of your own will or otherwise."

They all spoke for a few minutes, hesitant as to whether Feitan would show up again and berate their tired selves, but as time passed, the Spider didn't seem to be coming back. They slipped further into a delicate sense of safety that they would never be caught slacking, and chatted mindlessly. Kalluto had never experienced such a thing. It was alien, the way they were able to put connections over business, and rest over the drive to be better. Though Feitan could return any second, they were acting as if he wouldn't kill them all on the spot.

They were sitting, talking about things that had absolutely no meaning or value. These were words that could have easily gone unsaid with zero repercussions. So useless. And to him, who had spent his entire life revolving his thoughts around the concept of usefulness, it was difficult to comprehend.

The three were of no benefit to the Spiders, even if their abilities were honed. Kalluto had never asked for any background information, but Shalnark had spewed his entire biography an hour back to clear up the Machi misunderstanding, and that had come with the entire Yorknew ordeal. Suppose Rein truly did care for the Spiders, as she claimed. He still found it hard to believe she would join them. And Lucky. Even if Chrollo wished his aura to be tamed, there was little gain in obeying that order. Though Shalnark claimed not to know who Zushi was, from what he could tell, he was too upright to ever become a Troupe member.

There simply was no need to interact with them, Kalluto knew. Their interactions with him or the Phantom Troupe wouldn't amount to anything. Involving himself with others could only be detrimental to him, so even if the other Spiders didn't see the pointlessness of it all, it was better for him to go alone, to stick to his goal.

He had to get Killua back. The Zoldycks would fall without an heir, no matter how long great-grandfather Maha lived, or how confident his father was that his brother would return. In the basement, Nanika was already demanding to see him again, resulting in wasted deaths of two of their good butlers. Illumi had left home to track Killua down, the only communication with his family being by phone, to accept a few assassination requests every now and then. And his mother was fretting so, throwing things at him and overall displeased.

He both wanted and needed big brother Killua to be home, for the sake of his family. If Kalluto failed now, it would be his fault that his family fell. So he couldn't. If the Phantom Troupe was the best way to get a hold of his brother, so be it. His goal came first.

He would cover for Machi when she didn't want to talk with others. He would lend Shalnark his fan when he wanted to tap someone on the head and pretend it wasn't him. He would do all these things and more if it meant creating a natural environment where he could finally ask for a favor and have it granted. His goal came first. And as these three wouldn't be Spiders in the near future, he didn't have to speak to them, or listen to their talk.

But maybe, he supposed as he sat down to listen to their conversation, he could allow himself to do a few useless things, just this once.

* * *

"So we've found the exorcist, right? And we're tailing him, right? Well turns out he's in a bit of a predicament right now so we're waiting for that to settle down. In the meanwhile, we're tracking him, but there's this problem. So I was watching him with Kalluto, right?"

"Get to point," Feitan ordered.

Shalnark chuckled some more and apologies bubbled up from him as would a fountain, but he quieted soon enough. "He's being targeted by someone."

He found himself leaning in. "Target?"

He nodded vigorously, green eyes reflecting light. "I was watching through binoculars. He was suddenly attacked by arrows. Because of that whole scam I mentioned before, the Nen creature on him canceled out most of the damage, but he's still injured. I made sure that he's safe for now, but there's only so much time we have."

"And?" asked Feitan. "Did you find the attacker?"

Shalnark shook his head. "I couldn't see the attacker from my angle, but from the pattern of attack and given the fact that it was on a Nen-user, it probably wasn't-"

There was a flash of purple to his right, and an arrow embedded itself deep in Shalnark's knee.

Feitan whipped around for the attacker, ready for a kill, but there was no one in sight.

Shal gave a small groan next to him as he propped himself back onto his feet, trying not to make his shattered kneecap splinter into his muscle. He bit back a swear word, and forced the corner of his lips to turn up. The area was bloodier and more twisted than it should have been for a simple arrow. "That..." Shalnark sucked in a breath and let out a light chuckle to cover it up as blood seeped between his fingers, "...packed a punch."

Just earlier that day Shalnark had been explaining to Zushi how teleportation could possibly work. Both the conjuration and manipulation techniques required someone present, and by the way the Nen had only been released in one, secluded spot, the likelihood that it was specialization technique was slim. No, this was only possible by Emitter methods. And this use of that, with no trace of the attacker, was ticking Feitan off.

Feitan gnashed his teeth tightly, peering around the area once more before pulling Shalnark to his feet and taking him back to base.

He'd never encountered a warping arrow before, but he had the gut feeling that this wouldn't be the last time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> a r r o w s


	46. Tread On Tea

"Shal!" Rein threw aside the mouth of the tent, eyes widening and slowly coming to soften when she saw him sitting there, blabbering away to Feitan. She let out a shaky breath of relief.

Shal looked her way and grinned at her all the same, even with the pain. "Rein, hey! Could you close the tent flap?"

It took her a bit to respond, but as soon as the words reached her ears, she did exactly as he said. Her fingers lingered on the fabric before she drew in a breath and approached him, lips pulled taut into a too-tight smile. She sat. "It's just an external injury, huh?" she asked, taking a closer look at his knee; the blood, red and seeping into his clothes. After a while, she tilted her head towards his face instead, trying not to let the injury anywhere near her line of sight.

His eyes crinkled, but there was no mistaking the worried way his eyebrows bunched. "I wish I could say that, but there was Nen in that. I could've probably handled a normal arrow, but... hey, Fei, wait!"

Feitan, who Rein had hardly noticed, stood up and went out. He'd already heard this spiel once, and once was enough. "I'm fast," he assured as the fabric fell back into place. "I won't be hit."

The shine in his green eyes dimmed as Fei left a single reassurance that wasn't _actual_ affirmation. He clenched the pants on his uninjured leg, knuckles turning white as he let out a whisper of: "Be careful."

This reminded Rein of a similar instance not to long ago, and she didn't like this déjà vu feeling crawling up her throat, not a bit. Someone leaving, with a warning to be careful, a word of caution that had been futile.

"Well, it's Fei," Shalnark reasoned, the previous expression on his face gone. "He can handle it, no doubt."

She glanced back, at him, his smile, and the dripping, dripping red. Seeping, falling. Her hands dug around in her pocket, searching once again for something old. "We sensed something happened, so I came here and Kalluto went off to find Machi. They'll be he-"

"Brilliant!" he said, and leaned in, as if wanting something else. "Tell me how exactly you knew there was something amiss. Exactly."

Rein tried, and ultimately came up with, "It was just weird all of a sudden. How do I explain that? A random strand of aura hits us like a butterfly truck, of course something is off."

He sat back with his knowing grin, incredibly pleased before his face twisted into curiosity. "Did you say 'butterfly truck'?"

"Like very subtly being hit by a truck," she attempted.

Shalnark laughed, but recovered quickly, nodding as he did with tears in his eyes. "No, no, really, thanks, that was the last piece," he struggled to breathe, "and now I _know_ my deductions are correct.

"The only worrying point about this Nen-user is that we don't know his identity or his whereabouts. But everything else, I have a pretty good grip on." If Shalnark had glasses, he certainly would have adjusted them at this point. "By the method he used to attack, he's an Emitter. And by the fact that an Emitter used a _real_ arrow instead of aura means that's one of the restrictions: to make the arrow warp, it has to actually physically exist. And while it was successful in adding aura to hurt me further, it wasted too much energy. And all that on my knee, only once. Terrible use. That plus the fact that the method wasn't controlled means that..." He smiled. "He's not someone to worry too much about. He's nothing like before, alright, Rein? We'll be okay."

She merely set her jaw to alert him that she had listened, still stiff. Stars, the red in his knee and-

Taking her hands, he pressed something into her palm. He patted her hand over it, and said simply, "I found it when I went to go look for Uvo."

There was a familiar and long-missed calm that came with tracing over the white veins of quartz on her rock, warm from being in Shalnark's pocket for so long. Her grip felt so steady now, as if her fingers had been yearning for her lucky rock this entire time. She tucked it into her own pocket, but didn't let go.

Machi stepped inside. "Shal." She cast a single glance at his knee and immediately readied her threads. Rein stepped aside for her as she knelt down, needle glinting. "Can I remove all traces of the attacker's nen?"

"By all means!" said Shalnark, and allowed her to work her magic. His knee was back to normal, the mangled muscle and shards of bone set properly back into place. Rein was about to leave when he called back out to her. "Also! Another common restriction for any teleportation emitter-style is that they have to be able to _see_ where they release their aura. So if I stay in this tent, he can't attack. An Emitter can't be _that_ patient. I'll be out in a day or two."

Being out in the open again felt like a weight taken off Rein's chest. Kalluto was there, standing close to the tent flap, and the other two were sitting beside him in a neat row.

Zushi leaned forward, concerned. "Is he okay?"

"Completely recovered," she said. "Machi's ability comes in handy. She can sew up someone instantly, muscles and bone and all."

"That certainly is an incredible Hatsu!" he marveled, and she could nearly hear the gears turning in his head.

"It is. But it can't fix everything." Kalluto spoke from his angle. He'd been the one to get Machi, and the first to notice the graveness when they first felt the weak wave of hostile nen ripple through the air. "There are limitations to every sort of ability. Shalnark was lucky that this attacker wasn't anyone worth worrying about. If they were stronger, things could have gotten," he paused, and almost grinned, "out of hand."

"Motive, unknown. Identity, unknown. Gender, unknown, even though you're all assuming them to be male," said Lucky, a hand to his chin. "The key part is probably the motive. If we get one of the pieces, the others will eventually fall into place. There might be something bigger at hand."

Rein raised an eyebrow. "Were you guys eavesdropping?"

No one denied nor confirmed it, though Zushi's ears tinted pink.

It was then that Feitan approached the tent, with Phinks in tow. "Go play," said Fei begrudgingly in an attempt to get them to scram, not bothering to glace their way as he entered.

"Yo, Rein," Phinks greeted as he quickly ruffled her hair before she got a chance to stop him, as if they'd only seen each other minutes ago. He followed Fei into the tent where the other two Spiders were waiting for them, and the group outside went away to explore more of their vast base. Before closing the flap, Phinks watched their backs recede, paying careful attention to one with a white martial arts uniform. He squinted, and looked away.

Already cresting the hill, they were continuing to talk. "The camp seems pretty empty," Rein commented. She'd only seen four of the Spiders so far. They'd first come here with everyone, aside from Danchou, and the two they lost.

Kalluto nodded. "After I joined, a lot of them decided to go off on their own and meet again once Danchou ordered it. They're outside the game doing their own thing."

Of course. They did that often after a mission, either returning to their homeland or acting on their own goals and interests. "So who's here?"

"Just those four," he said at first, before reconsidering. "Well, five, if you include the one I replaced."

Her step faltered. She hadn't seen Hisoka since his betrayal, hadn't even thought much about him, to be honest. With his demeanor, the fact that he was a traitor wasn't surprising in the least. He'd tried to fight Danchou with the intention of making it life or death, but ultimately, he'd failed. There hadn't been anything to be concerned about, especially since Hisoka wouldn't try to come after Chrollo as a 'broken toy'. But if Hisoka had followed them here, all the way to Greed Island, so many new possibilities opened up, all of which she wanted to avoid.

"Hey, isn't that..."

They followed Lucky's eyes to the cliff, and as soon as they saw, the air stiffened. Rein clutched her rock tightly, as a warning. Though she couldn't see his reaction, it felt like he was mocking her, a scientist gazing warmly upon the rats of his illegal experiment.

There was no mistaking his vibrant hair, or that mischievous aura. It was him. Even though he was far, far away—only a speck, really—Lucky _swore_ he saw Crop Top winking as he turned away and disappeared for good.

* * *

"That's right," Killua said in the middle of his stretch. "Hey, Gon."

"Hm?" Gon was stretching too, per Bisky's orders. They were about to test their abilities one last time before confronting Genthuru.

"I got an email from Senritsu when I was at the Exam. Remember her?"

"Ah, Kurapika's friend! Why? Did something happen?"

"Just kind of..." He eased up with a huff to look Gon in the eye. "Something came up. She was split off from Kurapika, but she's concerned for him for a bunch of reasons, and..." He trailed off again. "She found something out, and wants us to help."

He nodded understandingly. "Count me in," he stated. "We have to help a friend."

A friend, huh? Killua managed a devious grin, one of his many practiced charms. Gon seemed nauseated at this, and he gave up immediately. He should have known that hiding how he was feeling around his friend would ultimately be useless. "There's someone else here, and I think that someone's going to be critical for this."

Gon seemed delighted, and raised his fist. "Then we gotta beat Genthuru quick so we can contact them soon, huh?"

Killua bumped their fists together, and nodded. "Yeah."

* * *

Phinks' voice was low, almost a growl. "What's that kid doing here?"

Feitan ignored him.

"Oi, Fei," he snarled, and gripped his shoulder to make Feitan face his him, but he looked calmly away. "You know who I'm talking about. Why's he here?"

"Why does it bother you," Feitan said offhandedly, more a sly accusation than anything.

They stood there with their gazes fierce, neither yielding until Shalnark came up between them, pushing them both away. A hand on each of their chests, he silently urged them to not move as he stated slowly, "I'm going to make some tea." There was less tension in the tent now, but Phinks' unknown source of dissatisfaction clashed against Feitan's stubbornness. Shalnark started to sort out his tea leaves in the background, trying to ignore them.

Machi didn't interfere with the two. She knew they would work it out sooner or later, and she watched it happen when Phinks broke eye contact and sat down.

He leaned his elbow on one knee, avoiding their fixed gazes. "That puny midget," he started out quietly, tone the faintest hint of gruff, "and his weak-ol' aura. It's like a downgraded version of, no, it _is_ a downgraded version of hers, isn't it."

One's Nen held as much character and quirks as a face would. Even if one's memory of it became vague and fuzzy from time, much like a face, it could become instantly recognizable. Feitan hadn't cared about it much in the first place, and hadn't realized the similarity on the spot, but once he had, it was impossible to unsee. Yet Phinks had seemed to recognize it immediately. Phinks, who forgot every single dead body and Meteor City inhabitant, had remembered all these years.

...curse number eight.

"I thought there was something familiar with him," Machi said. "So Temmi's son. That's what it was?"

Feitan's steady eyes gave his answer.

"I always thought he'd died or something." Phinks shifted his weight to his other side, trying and failing to get into a comfortable position.

"Me too," Shalnark called, already pouring hot water into a pot. He brought it over, along with four cups he was balancing in his other hand. "I thought that perhaps she'd jumped with her son. There are many cases of that, where a parent feels inadequate but believes no one else is qualified to care for their child, so..." He sat down, drew a line across his throat, and ended it at that.

"Nah, she wouldn't. I thought Hisoka did something with him or... something."

Shalnark cocked his head at Phinks' lack of eloquence, and his statement. "Why? It's more probable that Temmi would have taken her son's life. You have no evidence against that," he said, and tested the tea before starting to pour their cups, "their bodies were never found. It would be assumed that they disappeared together. But if her son is here, I suppose she handed him over to someone. We checked all her connections when she went missing, but I guess we didn't look hard enough." Shalnark finished pouring the tea and handed each of them a cup.

"He was at Heaven's Arena," Feitan stated, eyeing the cup and peering at its insides tentatively before placing it down. "Probably someone she didn't know well."

"But his guardian was a Nen-user, right?" Machi's hold was around the cup handle, but it hadn't gone near her mouth. "He could have changed his identity completely, in only a way she could have understood. Perhaps he was distant family, or a past lover. Maybe even the father."

Phinks' cup shattered in his grip. Their widening eyes turned to him, almost as large as the splotches of hot tea sizzling in the dirt. His sleeve was drenched now, and seething, he rolled it up as they stared. He popped his knuckles. "Problem?"

Feitan wiped off the tea that had splashed onto his clothes. "He had black hair, skinny eyes, and my skin. Not the father."

He watched as hair by hair, Phinks' bristling seemed to calm down. He cracked his knuckles again, but this time it relieved tension instead of adding it.

"So then? What's the plan of action?" Shalnark leaned forward, as if discussing something secret. "What do we do if he's here?"

"He doesn't know about his mother, or father. His morality will be difficult to get around," Feitan stated.

Shalnark cupped his chin in his hand, the teacup dangling daintily from his finger. "I mean, we have to let him know sometime, right? We must! He's been brought to us, after all. If Danchou were here, he would claim this as fate, and that fate isn't a force to be ignored."

Machi nodded in agreement. It's what she would want too."

She was talking just like Rein, now, although actually composed, Feitan noticed. Absurd. "I didn't bring him here for nothing," he said, "do what you want."

Shalnark looked to Phinks for the final 'yes', but the Spider just sighed. He grabbed Feitan's cup and downed the hot tea, not caring that it burned at his throat. It helped to clear his mind. "Fine, sure, whatever. Go ahead, I don't care. He's her son after all, I guess."

Shalnark chirped his correction, as if only to see Phinks' reaction: "Her and another man's son."

Phinks' cup once again exploded to pieces in his hand, and Shalnark sipped away happily at his tea. 


	47. Intuition

Feitan drove them hard, but to say that would have been an understatement.

Perhaps "ground them underfoot" would have been more accurate.

He didn't just have them exercise (no, that was ridiculous); if he was going to have them do any physical work, he was putting them through manual labor. Of course, he did use other methods when he ran out of chores to give them. Working on shaping their aura into letters and running through the alphabet gave them more control over their nen. Trying to hit him with small bursts of their own aura would help in their accuracy and precision. Sparring with Feitan, even if it was slowly, would develop how they used the flow of their nen. And tossing them off a cliff and having them maneuver their way down safely with bursts of their aura would help in all three. It was easier to improve when your life was at risk.

(If any of them failed, he supposed he could jump after them and save the ungrateful brats before they hit the ground. It wouldn't be too hard.)

As Kalluto had already gone through years of tough training as a Zoldyck and already had his Hatsu, he had no need to join them. He was with the other three for simple exercises, but aside from that, he often liked to watch from the sidelines, lounging casually, and infuriating them. Zushi was diligent, and was a bit stuck on Ren, but they had gotten over that obstacle within two days of Feitan pushing him to his limit. His former master had been pretty good, Fei guessed. As for Rein, she was mostly only caught on how she should proceed with her Hatsu, so there weren't many worries there.

Now Lucky was a bit more tricky. He had been using his destructive Nen for all his life—though unknowingly—so using it came naturally to him. It was _stopping_ it that was giving him some real problems.

Zetsu was not an option. As Machi had deduced before, if Lucky closed off all his aura nodes, his destructive Nen would build up inside his body, and he would die. Going unnoticed by Nen users would never be possible for him, but if Feitan made him strong enough, he wouldn't have to meddle with them anyway.

So then came the problem of making him stronger. Lucky's aura was immense to begin with, so he held a lot of power. But power meant nothing if you used too much of it, and Lucky tended to overuse it, a lot. He wasted too much aura on a single move, and the repercussions were inescapable. He would be sparring, but his aura would leak off of him and he would get tired easily. He would panic and send off a huge burst of nen that in turn, ended up flinging Lucky into the air. If he wasn't careful, he might accidentally manipulate his surroundings so that he would be buried alive. There wasn't really any way to know.

He lacked control over his own aura, something that could be fatal in time. The solution? Feitan proposed that he do _absolutely nothing_ for three days straight, or more precisely, _react_ to nothing for three days straight. His nen could not move if he did not feel anything.

Thus, amid a friend group comprised of murderers, thieves, assassins, and orphaned children, Lucky set out upon the most boring day of his life.

Not thinking and not feeling were two very difficult things to accomplish, Lucky decided while walking aimlessly throughout the forest. You have to think about the fact that you can't think or feel, which only causes you to think about that even more, doesn't it? And not feeling. He had to feel the lack of feel and keep it empty of feel while not feeling like he was thinking that he had to think not to feel or he would otherwise end up thinking about the fact that he wasn't supposed to think to feel but to feel and think not.

Calculus had been so much easier.

A lot would have easier, actually, if he'd known about the existence of Nen in the first place. If only he didn't have to have gone through years of confusion and driving all his loved ones away. Perhaps he would have been able to control it better, and perhaps he wouldn't have had to have been so alone.

He looked down at his wrist, at the jade bracelet hidden under all his other woven friendship bracelets. Now that he knew how to use Gyo, he could see it now, the fresh green aura that the jewel gave off. Which meant Uncle Fu, who had given it to him, had known. He'd known and left without saying a word about it to Lucky.

There must have been a reason why his great-uncle had kept silent about the existence of Nen. Maybe he figured that Lucky was too young and would figure it all out in due time. Though he looked up to his great-uncle and respected his decisions, Lucky wished he'd told him before, years before. If only he could have learned to control this force inside of him sooner. Maybe then, he wouldn't have had to lose so much.

Lucky squeezed his eyes shut and pinched the bridge of his nose. Being left alone with one's thoughts was dangerous. He was supposed to be not thinking at the moment, wasn't he? But no matter how hard he tried to steer away from the topic, his thoughts kept drifting deeper and deeper into a past he'd thought he'd gotten over.

He'd thought he was over it. He thought—

The ground beneath him gave away and he fell. His aura lashed out wildly in his surprise, and he hastily tried to use a few techniques Feitan had taught them concerning landing safely, but it was in vain. The space was too tight, and the shock wave from his nen only made the situation worse, dirt chunks breaking and hurting his eyes. He hit the back of his head at the bottom, and his teeth snapped together violently.

As he was fading out of consciousness, a flash of purple above him released an arrow and hit him square in the chest.

* * *

Kalluto looked towards the woods, breeze playing with his raven hair as he squinted against the wind.

"Kalluto?" Zushi asked, his head tilting. "Is something wrong?"

"I just... nothing." He turned back towards them, now squinting at their actions. While Lucky was off in isolation, Rein and Zushi were to practice forming the entire Hunter alphabet out of their aura.

It was these quiet times that Kalluto liked. Often, the three training under Feitan would be adjusting to their harsh schedule, and Kalluto would watch, not wanting to get involved. It was amusing, watching people at and above his age struggling at cursing at something that he had gotten used to when he was _four_. But taking a leisurely stroll, shaping their aura and using Gyo? It was something he could easily join.

They were changing their auras steadily, moving through the Hunter letters. Kalluto had already experienced this kind of training before with his father (but it had been with numbers. The alphabet had an end. Numbers did not), so with a run-through once or twice, he had it down. Rein's aura was steady, but she took too long to get it into the position.

And Zushi.

Kalluto looked pointedly at the letters Zushi was forming. "What is that jiggly chicken scratch? Are you having trouble shaping it? I can show you a few techniques I picked up from my old man if you want."

"Is there something wrong with my letters?" Zushi looked at the aura shape quizzically. "It looks exactly like my handwriting to me."

"Your _handwriting?"_ he blurted.

"W-well, i-if my letters now are insufficient, I could... I will work hard to improve them!" He bowed, disregarding his hurt sense of pride.

Kalluto seemed taken aback. "You, uh, you don't need to do that. Not to me. You don't have to bow to me." When the boy stopped however, he smirked. "It doesn't help your chicken scratch."

His head jerked violently forward and back, as if he'd just remembered the specific order to not bow in apology. "It's not that bad," he stated defensively, his cheeks puffing out.

"It is."

"Is not."

"Is too."

"Rein," Zushi said, almost whining, "Is it really that bad?"

It took a moment for Rein to snap out of her thoughts, gazing towards the trees as Kalluto had done. "What? Are you talking?" She caught a glimpse of Zushi's 'ke' letter. _"Stars_ , what is _that?"_

Kalluto did not snort —he tried to convince himself so—as Zushi slipped into a deeply shocked and offended state.

"My... can't possibly be..." Zushi caught sight of someone walking up the hill and called out to them, wanting at least one person to be on his side. "Phinks-san!"

As soon as he saw who it was, the man scowled and went in the other direction.

Zushi's arm became limp in the air before he pulled it back to his side. He said his words with hesitance. "I don't think Phinks-san likes me very much."

"Phinks doesn't like a lot of people," Rein tried, still not sure what was going on but trying her best to get back in the rhythm of things. "He'll take some time to warm up to, at least, that's how it was with me."

"Yes, but he's always looking at me funny, and it makes me feel guilty." His thick brows drew together. "Did I do something wrong?"

The puzzle pieces finally clicked together in Rein's head, and Kalluto noticed it crystal clear. When she said, "No, no. You just have to get used to him. He'll be like this for a while", it was like she was trying to cover something. The word choice was a dead giveaway. Not a lie, exactly, definitely not a lie. Something else that he couldn't wrap his head around.

But it wasn't his business to pry; it wasn't his place.

(Don't interfere with Mother's business, Kalluto darling.)

He decided to bring it back a few steps, to a neutral point. "Let's run all the way back to Feitan. Try to go through the entire alphabet."

They heeded his suggestion, after all, Feitan would only give them more work if they returned later than per his liking.

"Rein, Kalluto, may I ask a question?" Zushi asked, his letters still not improving. "How do I get Phinks-san to like me?"

"How?" They looked at each other, both only able to offer up shrugs. Rein's aura surged on as she sifted through her memories. She met Kalluto's eyes again, dark and rational. "Don't sweat it. He'll warm up to you sooner or later."

They returned to the area just as they reached the final letter of 'n', and ceased their running. They quickly realized something was amiss.

Rein searched for him, any sign of his aura, but there was nothing to be found. "Fei?"

* * *

Machi was up close to Lucky yet again, observing the many scars that flawed his skin. Most of them were old, but there were newer ones from when he'd fallen into the pit. One was dangerously close to his eye, but it was quite shallow, hardly a bead of blood to be seen. There was a larger scrape traveling down his neck, probably from a sharp tree root he'd caught on when falling, but with a dab of ointment, it would fix itself up rather nicely. He seemed to be in fine condition, ignoring the pulsing wound on his chest.

The arrow had wedged itself fairly close to his lung, but judging from the rip in his flesh and the rate at which it was bleeding, the arrow had been dull. While it would be a pain to have heal, she wouldn't have to worry about accidentally cutting him further when she removed the arrow.

She sighed and took out her sewing kit, her physical one instead of her usual Nen threads. "Using my Hatsu would be a lot quicker, you know."

"No," Feitan ordered from the side. "He needs to get aura as Zetsu-like as he can. No interacting with other Nen."

"Fine." She took a clean thread from the small box and quickly cleansed her needle, using the one stuck into the pincushion on the back of her hand. His shirt was already ripped, so removing it to inspect the wound further was simple. She simply tore it as much as she needed to, and... abdomen.

She observed the injury, yes, but there was something else tugging at her mind.

He was very, for lack of a better word, flat. And not in that way—he was a male, that made obvious sense—but his stomach. It was just... flesh. Machi had never seen this before. Not that she'd seen many people's abdomens aside from those in the Troupe, but it was peculiar. Machi had taken care of many injuries before. Nobunaga with a deep gash that nearly reached down to his spine, Uvo who had gotten a poison knife twisted in his liver, and so forth. But when she had tended to them, they'd all had muscles, abs.

Lucky? He had none. Instead, his middle was smooth, and this sight was foreign to her. Did normal people not have them?

His stomach just looked... squishy. 

She was a bit tempted to poke at it, and briefly wondered if it felt like the top of a jellyfish, or a marshmallow.

"Stare at him or fix. Your choice," Feitan said.

She let out a short, quiet huff, pried out the arrow, and got to work. Her hands moved quickly, though she did take her time when she reached the area were the wound was deep and close to his lung. It wasn't just his lack of muscles too, she realized. He was pale to begin with, but his chest was even paler, it almost made her blind, even in the shade of the tent Feitan had first brought him to when he'd discovered Lucky unconscious. She wondered whether he was lacking in vitamin D.

Between his lack of abs and his obvious vitamin deficiency, Machi briefly wondered how he was alive.

His breathing hiccuped, and he stirred.

"You're awake," she commented calmly, and took a free hand to hold him down. "Don't get up. The stitches will be undone."

He instead did the exact opposite, bolting upwards before wincing in pain. His gaze flew from his bare chest to her fingers on it stitching it up. His chalky cheeks were tinted red now from blood rushing through them, and with her heightened senses, Machi could hear his pulse exploding. The full force of the pain catching up to him, he started to reach his hand toward his chest.

Machi stopped him, and with a stern look, made him lay down again so she could continue with her stitching. She soon realized that this would become problematic. She sighed. "Your heart is beating so fast that it's shaking the wound," she articulated, watching as new blood started to emerge from where the arrowhead had been. "Try to stay calm."

He nodded, but his heart rate did not slow.

Machi wasn't quit sure whether he would survive or not, because whatever blood hadn't already spilled out of him was rushing to his cheeks instead of his organs.

Her lips pulled taut, but she remained silent and continued to sew him up. She was confident in her skills, a bit more shaking and loosening stitches was nothing. It would just take more time. She saw Lucky bit his lip to keep from crying out when she stuck in the needle once more.

He swallowed down his cries and stayed silent for a while. "Who found me?" he asked. His first string of words was dry, and his voice cracked.

"Feitan." She tugged on the string, knotting it and finishing it up before cutting it loose. "This all could have been avoided if you'd watched where you were going," she chided, cleaning the needle and sticking it back into her pincushion. "What if you'd gotten a concussion? Or more arrows had come?"

"The arrow was not my fault."

"Purple?" Feitan asked. Their heads whipped to him, and he exhaled. "Purple aura?"

The blush across his face was more subtle this time, more out of surprise if anything. Machi probably wouldn't have noticed it had she not been so close. "Now that you mention it, I think there was. Yeah, it was purple. And..." he trailed off, as if to double check his own memory. "Grey, too. It was a wormhole to a city, I think."

"Shal's taking a while." Machi dropped the hint, her eyes drifting to the tent flap.

Feitan took this as his cue and left to go find him while Lucky asked, "Who? Devil? What's he doing?"

"Off to find some medicinal herbs that I instructed him to find. It'll help with your pain." She watched as he finally started to cradle his chest, hurting from laughing too hard. She shook her head disapprovingly.

He grinned, sheepish.

* * *

Shalnark got straight to the discussion. "It might've been a mistake on our part to just let the attacker be. He's gotten stronger as we have, and it seems like his attacks are becoming more accurate. He's only been attacking with a single arrow every time, but he could start to add arrows pretty soon. We should find him before he becomes a major threat."

"Lucky saw through the portal. Says he saw city."

His eyes lit up. "That's brilliant! We have a lead. There are only so many cities here. Since the attacker's Nen technique has gotten less reckless, if he's been in the city, someone is bound to have felt it as he tried to tame it. Even if he's only been training away from people, a simple description will do if we want someone to recognize his aura on the street. If I ask around, I'll get his whereabouts in no time."

"Don't act on your own."

"What?"

"When you find him, don't act," Feitan ordered, voice low. His mouth twisted into a grim line. _"I'll_ finish him off." 


	48. Bits and Pieces

The tea sat bitter on his tongue, but for a dry throat, it was absolute heaven.

"Here." Machi handed Lucky a few leaves Shalnark had brought in. "Chew on them. They'll dull your pain. And whatever you do, don't move for the next few hours. My stitches are good, but I'm not sure how well they'll fare against _you_."

Lucky placed a leaf hesitantly into his mouth and leaned back slowly so he didn't reopen the wound. "You know," he said between chews, trying not to taste it, "we had some down time in between the Hunter Exam phases, plus some at the end. There was, like, a two-hour window, and..." He looked at her. "How long have you known Red?"

"Rein?" Machi peered at him with both curiosity and suspicion. "Why do you want to know?"

He shook his head. "She asked me a favor on the airship back, you know." Lucky slowly reached towards his jacket, and pulled out his hidden stash of threads from its inner pocket. He held them up, and smiled at her.

Machi's breath caught in her lungs at the sight, and for the longest time, she couldn't breathe. She knew what this meant, what he and those strings combined together meant. It wasn't bad, but it made her want to run, run far, far away. But her joints locked, and she kept perfectly still.

He spat out the disgusting leaf and put it neatly away. "If I'm going to be stuck here for hours, I might as well do something to pass the time. What do you say, Pinky? Want to make a bracelet with me?"

* * *

Shalnark hummed a tuneless melody as he watched their Nen exorcist from afar. If he was right, the attacker had shot him in the knee and Lucky his chest because he'd figured out the Spiders were after the exorcist. If their attacker knew he was dealing with the infamous Phantom Troupe, it was no wonder he wanted to get rid of them before they found his whereabouts. He'd most likely been employed to kill the exorcist, and he obviously wanted to do it badly.

But that Nen exorcist was _theirs_ , for Danchou. They needed to get Chrollo's nen back as soon as possible, and that man was their ticket to it.

"Unfortunate, isn't it?" Shalnark called back. "Just when we find someone, he has to go and be a target for someone else."

"That's how it is," Kalluto said. "The rarer or stronger your abilities are, the more likely you are to get targeted. Even if you're nice, and even if you haven't done anything wrong, being strong or being associated with strong people is dangerous. It's inescapable."

Phinks scoffed. "It's troublesome is what it is." He got out a box of cigarettes and lit one of them, inhaling deeply. He blew out, irritated. "So when's he getting attacked again? It's taking forever."

Kalluto's eyebrows twisted at the sight of him smoking—in the Zoldyck house, smoking was off limits; anything that could affect your performance was strictly forbidden—but he brought his gaze down to hide it. "I thought you said it was troublesome."

"Yeah, but I'm bored. I just wanna up and break the bastard's neck already, that way he won't be a threat, right?"

"Too late!" Shalnark shouted from the cliff ledge where he perched, eagerly leaning forward to observe the exorcist's safety. "Fei already called dibs. Next time, Phinks."

He muttered a string of curses under his breath, grinding the cigarette between his large teeth and popping his knuckles. Placing his hands behind his head, he fell back in the grass, taking a few drags of smoke before sighing. With literally nothing to do and everything having to be done of zero interest to him, he stated, "I'm hungry."

After a pause, Kalluto rummaged in the large sleeves of his kimono and brought out a small bundled package. "I baked some bread this morning," he said offhandedly, undoing the knot and passing a roll to Phinks. "I had time."

He took it gratefully, smothering out the cigarette before tearing off a chunk of the bread and gnawing on it. Phinks stopped mid-chew. He forced his jaw to move again, rolling the mashed-up food in his mouth. "You're..." Phinks fixed his gaze on the Zoldyck. "You're pretty good at a lot of things, aren't you."

The air was quiet.

"...Examples?"

"Pushing for compliments won't get you any."

Kalluto shrugged.

Phinks wolfed down the rest of the roll and motioned for another, which was tossed to him. He snatched it out of the air, ripping another bite and talking with the food still in his mouth. "You like baking?"

He looked off to the side. "Not particularly."

"So just like..." He scarfed the entire thing in a heartbeat, finishing. "...your feminine side breaking out or somethin'? That'd for sure explain the outfit too."

The boy didn't think Phinks actually meant what he said. It was a jab to try and tick him off, like he often did. It's not like he did this for himself, anyway. All of Kalluto's talents, mannerisms, ways of dress, they didn't originate from him.

And that infuriated him, a bit. It was maddening to think that you were in control, but let others take the reins. It was his life, and he was running it. But every time he thought that, he wondered if a more controversial statement had ever existed. He was in control. Right?

He tried not to mull over it too much. This was for the best, after all, to keep his family together. So much had gone wrong. When Mother lost her vision, when Alluka had revealed herself inhuman and hopeless to ever be a Zoldyck, when Killua ran away from home. All of those instances had thrown his family into more chaos than he would've liked. Illumi turned distant. Mother turned to him for comfort after losing her only daughter to forces unknown. Father had run himself dry trying to get their heir back. If anything would fix _any_ part of this, it was him. Kalluto would have to get Killua back, and perhaps finally, after their troubles had subsided, they could finally turn their focus onto the youngest Zoldyck.

He'd earned skills over the years during his attempts when he thought he could fix his broken household from the inside out. It was within his darned right to use them. For now, it was fine if Phinks teased him.

He would keep Mother happy. He would bring his family back together again.

"Could I have some bread too?" Shalnark called, eyes still glued to his binoculars and the exorcist beyond that. "I haven't had anything since I started watching over him, and he's not doing anything interesting."

Kalluto complied and brought one over to him, handing him the soft roll.

He set down his binoculars for the first time that day, and took a bite before his emerald eyes widened. He swallowed his mouthful before looking at Kalluto, gaze curious and asking all the questions his mouth couldn't say. Finishing up with his late breakfast quickly, he raised the binoculars again, only to become so excited he almost dropped them. "Look, look, look," he rushed, his words stumbling over each other as he hoarded the binoculars for himself. This went on for a few more seconds before he threw them down, letting out a cheer of triumph.

Phinks picked up the binoculars and tried to peer through them, only to look from the wrong end. What had gotten Shalnark so worked up?

Shal threw his arms up in victory, and turned to their questioning faces, a grin on his face. "I know where the attacker is now."

* * *

"Think of someone and choose your colors." Lucky held out the strings, urging her to take them. "Take your time."

Machi did, staring for a while before stretching out her stiff hand. She took them randomly, picking only the ones closest to her before sitting back, silent.

"In my mind," he said, taking out the exact same threads she'd chosen, "everything has a color. Both passions and feeling all have something that make them uniq—"

"I know," she interrupted quietly. _"I know._ I heard you talking with Rein after it all happened, and I congratulate you on your success during that, but there's no need for me to go through it." She abruptly stood, already turning away. "You can put them away now. I don't need them."

Machi was already well on her way outside when Lucky spoke up. "I didn't notice, you know. Red did."

Her breath hitched again, and slowly, she let down the tent flap. Her heart burst, but her lungs couldn't keep up. "Notice what?"

He smiled, and set his hand on the ground beside him. "Sit down first. I'll teach you how to make a bracelet."

Hesitantly, she sat back down. She realized her knuckles were white from clutching the strings, and she tried to relax her grip, feeling her joints creak when she tried to let go.

Lucky waited patiently, and smiled when she'd settled. "Tie it in a knot at the top, like this."

Her fingers trembled, shaking so violently that the strings wouldn't go through the loop. It dropped onto her lap, and she could only stare at her hands, willing them to still as they continued to quake. Her hands, her normally steady hands. She couldn't function like this, could she? No, whatever these feelings were, they were bad, _bad._ She couldn't be of any use like, like _this_. Shut them away, now, go away, please go away... Machi forced her hands to ball into fists, digging her nails deep into her palm. They still shook a little bit, but the pain eased it. She clasped harder, her nails drawing blood. Her mind was clear, now, sharp, as she always was.

"Sorry," Lucky apologized in advance before picking up the dropped strings from her lap. He pulled them taut, knotting it slowly himself before bringing it up to her hands. He tried to place it in her palm, only to notice, "You're bleeding."

"This is nothing."

A frown set on his face before he stood, heading to rummage through Machi's first aid kit.

"Wai- Sit _down!_ Your chest; you aren't supposed to move, what if the stitches get undo-"

"Got any bandages in here?" Lucky asked, placing aside ointments and sterilizing solutions as he went.

Seeing this, it made her entire body relax. Kind of droop, in a way, that made her jaw slack and her mind go 'oh'. Realizing he had no intention of stopping anytime soon, she got up herself and showed him her palms. Being a Nen-user certainly had its benefits. Her nails had broken through her skin, but they were already well-along into healing, the blood flow stopped. "I am perfectly fine."

He inspected the closing wound closely. "If you're sure," he said, handing her back the knotted strings.

Machi wiped the blood off onto her sash and accepted the threads. Now, her hands weren't shaking as much, though her breath did a bit, as she gazed far too long at the strings in her hand.

He started instructing her, demonstrating how to do what in what order, waiting for her to follow and pointing to make himself as clear as possible.

It was a different method than he'd done with Rein, Machi realized. When she'd listened in, he'd shown the girl a braiding technique. This one he was showing her now was a knotting technique, and it kept the threads separated even when her hands trembled at times. All the tugging and tightening of the knots helped to steady her fingers. It could've been a coincidence, but Machi knew to trust her gut. And her gut was telling her that he'd chosen this method on purpose, and her mind was rather muddled by it.

Machi learned quickly. They worked in silence, her fingers now completely capable and weaving the bracelet with ease.

"About what Red noticed," he started. "I was making a second bracelet with her for like, uh, the man? Ubo... Uwu... I didn't completely get what she said, but during that time, she mentioned you. She asked if I could make a bracelet and talk to you too." He took a moment to untangle the strings. "Any thoughts on why that is?"

Her fingers had paused in their work, but she quickly started again. "It was her first time witnessing deaths of people she knew," she reasoned, not meeting his gaze. "We all react. This was just her first time seeing that. Her concern is understandable, but it's really unneeded."

Lucky nodded along. He jutted his chin out softly at her bracelet. "Who're you thinking of?"

She stayed silent. Her fingers deftly completed a couple more rows of the knots before she answered with a small, "Quite a few people, actually."

"That's perfectly fine. I do that too, sometimes. Especially when I first started." In the quiet that followed, they worked side by side. The sunlight came soft and faded through the tent fabric, enveloping them in a warm, orange hue. "I assign colors to a lot of things," he said suddenly. "Moods, emotions, sounds, and details. Right now, this setting is Sunbaked Orange."

Machi looked at the orange area. "Zero effort."

"It doesn't have to be deep," he argued. "Kill me right now if colors can't be straightforward. Yeah, sometimes a color is easy to get. Like a place, physical features, you know. What's harder are the things you can't see.

"Take the kid in the kimono, for example. I saw him coming back from baking this morning. And he's got this whole thing around him, like his mind is always set somewhere far away. So to me, instead of his dark clothes or dark hair, he seems more like the glaze on fresh bread, or a cloudy sky." He cleared his throat, a bit embarrassed by the lengths he'd gone to describe it. "You know?"

"I think I get it." Machi brought her knees to her chest, eyes fixed ahead. "And me?"

His eyes widened a bit, but he nodded. "You're strong, that's a given. You're quiet. Your expression is emotionless pretty much every time I see you, but I can get what Red was saying. The air around you is damp. It's heavy with a lot of sad things you're keeping close to you, and I think that's why she talked to me. All in all, I think you're a Periwinkle. A faded blue with a gentle grayish-purple tint." He leaned forward. "How'd I do?"

She met his eyes for the first time that day. "Fair."

It took a while for her to speak up from her end. "I think," said Machi, "that part, about events hanging in the air around me, I think that was right. I can never reach them. Even if I try to stop them, events still happen. I've learned to accept them."

He ceased weaving to give her his full attention. "Accept them how?"

"I don't think about them. They shouldn't bother me. Not a Spider. People die, and sometimes I'm not enough to save them. It's not my fault. It's not..." Her hands started to shake again, and she gripped the bracelet tightly to stop it. She took a breath, and Lucky listened. "Sometimes it's just too late, or you can't find the body. Maybe there's nothing left to sew left. I've seen gaping holes. Crushed skulls. Burnt lungs. I should be used to it by now. They were just... people I knew. I knew them, that's all. That's all."

Those last, shuddering words seemed to echo in the air.

"I think you've done a good job coming all the way here," he articulated slowly, smiling. "It must've been hard. You've done a good job. But you can think about it, I won't mind."

"No," she said sharply. "I've made up my mind. It's not my fault. Sometimes, you're just not enough. You can stand by and can't do anything as you watch them die, it just happens and you don't have the power to stop it. Maybe if your Hatsu was more advanced, you could do something, but you _can't_. You can try and rethink afterwards on how you could have saved them but there isn't any way, and there's _nothing_ -" Her voice broke here, and she stopped abruptly. It felt like there was a stab wound to her throat. "I'm not making sense."

Lucky, who'd only been sitting next to her until this point, raised his hand slowly, making sure she saw him and asking silent permission before he set his hand on her shoulder. She let him. "Thoughts that don't make sense are nice too. I mean, just look at me. I've never made sense in my entire life!" he joked, then brought his voice down. "Were they nice? Did you like them?"

She scoffed. "Nice isn't exactly..." she trailed off. "They were my Troupe."

"Here," Lucky said after a while, handing her a neat bundle of string. "Periwinkle, your color."

When she accepted it, her hands were no longer trembling. Upon this realization, she leaned back. "This whole intricate method you've worked out wouldn't work on some people, you know. Some people are colorblind."

"So?" he asked. "Greys are beautiful too."

Suddenly, there was that little click inside of her again, that little 'oh' moment that made her halt. Simple or complicated, she didn't know what his logic was, but going along with it seemed a good idea.

Lucky peered at her bracelet, half-done. "Crap," he said, hastily picking his up and trying to speed up his work. "You're better at this than I am."

Raising an eyebrow at him, she picked up her bracelet and started to weave the rest of it as fast as she could, much to his protests.

Her lips felt odd after not having done it for such a long time. She couldn't remember the last time she'd been able to accomplish it, and after the muscles hadn't been in use for the past few months, the corners of her mouth ached. But as soon as Machi cracked that smile, no matter how strange it felt, it didn't stop.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lucky is Phantom Troupe therapist change my mind


	49. Bound for Aiai

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (kind of) comedy chapter
> 
> Also I realized the outfit Kurapika wears when fighting the Spiders is the spitting image of the one Pairo used to wear and I am NOT OKAY-

"Let me make it crystal clear. I didn't see the attacker. _But,"_ Shalnark emphasized with an optimistic look, "I did see the background of where he was as the portal was closing. There was a fountain with a statue of a cupid. Can anyone guess where that is?" When no one answered, he gave his own little drumroll and exclaimed: "Aiai!"

No one responded.

He dropped his jazz hands. "Aiai? You know, that city not that far from here?"

Kalluto inclined his head. "I know the place."

"See? He gets it!" Shal looked for any sign of recognition on their faces, only to receive none. He sighed heavily, and set his hands upon his hips firmly. "Listen up. Aiai is the closest city from our base, about three hours on foot leisurely. You can't trade cards there, but it is a big city. There's a ton of people there, and the attacker has _got_ to be in the crowd."

"And we're all going there to search?" Rein asked.

"You bet. It's a large place, so it'll take a while, but that just means more witnesses to find. There's bound to be information if we ask around, and we'll corner him in no time. So pa-"

"What about the Nen remover?" Machi interrupted. "You saw through the attacker's portal because you happened to be watching him getting attacked, right. Is he safe?"

"As I was saying," Shalnark said, waving off all concerns, "pack if you must in our expedition to the one and only city of love. We're going to cut the three hour time in half and make it an hour long trek," he announced, shooing them all out of the tent with orders to make it quick.

As he was being herded out, Zushi paused to count on his fingers, puzzled when something didn't add up. "Didn't he say three hours to walk?" he asked Lucky, double-checking on his fingers. "In half is... well, I'm pretty sure half of three isn't one-"

"You know, Freckles," sighed Lucky, patting his shoulder and pushing him outside, "normally I'm not one to let a math mistake slide, but we don't question the Devil."

As soon as the others had stepped out of the tent to get ready, Feitan grabbed Shalnark by the collar and snarled. This was starting to become procedure.

Shalnark smiled radiantly. "A problem, Fei?"

"I said I would handle attacker. Me alone. No need for the rest of you to go. I kill."

Shal laughed brightly, and it took every ounce of self-restraint in Feitan's body to not break his wrist right then and there. "It's going to be an excellent learning experience!" Shal said, eyes sparkling and blond hair nearly floating. Fei wanted to rip it off his skull. "They can work on tracking people and training in a different environment for once. This place is diverse, but they've been stuck here since you guys arrived. I think a change of pace would be nice."

"No. I am trainer. Me." Feitan stuck his hands deep in his pockets, eyes darkened. "I decide what they do and where they go. Not you. If they don't have Hatsu, they don't go against Nen user. Done."

"Feitan," Machi said, voice low as she broke between them. "You need to push them sometimes. If they don't get exposed to someone stronger, they can't develop. If anything goes wrong, we can just kill the attacker first."

The Spider seemed to be in deep thought, unconsciously chewing on the ends of his raven hair. "Kids go. Lucky stays behind."

Machi gave him a firm look. This wasn't to say she didn't understand where he was coming from. Lucky was injured. It made sense to leave him behind, but that in itself was a danger. It would be better if they moved collectively in a group, so if anything happened, she could arrive on time to fix anything. While he was clumsy and far from responsible, there was something about him that made Machi think he wouldn't be so easy to kill. Her gut feeling. "He needs to get out."

"Still has arrow wound," he said sharply, and caught himself. The breaths he took were silent as he tried to calm down. "Won't be able to keep up."

Shal's mouth was twitching gleefully as he considered teasing him about how utterly mother-like he was acting, but he refrained. If he pushed Feitan's buttons anymore than he already had, blood would be shed. "A group's better. You should trust them with the risk."

"The chances for a negative outcome are very low." Machi's electric blue eyes turned on him. "Unless you don't have any confidence against the attacker."

He scowled, unable to press further for his case. Where was Phinks to back him up when he needed him? "Fine," he bit, turning on his heel. "Do what you want."

Feitan did not storm out. Storming out meant that he left with damp rage in the air, with electric shots of spite and thundering complaints. But he'd never been one to make a fuss like that. The way he left was quick, like a swift gale of wind that had come and gone; but it bothered them nonetheless. Feitan was not pleased.

Here there was a nen-user with ill intent, and Machi and Shalnark thought sending inexperienced infants straight to him was a good idea. Idiotic, idiotic and stupid and quite a few more powerful words.

Feitan wasn't very good at expressing his rapid thoughts. In his mother tongue, sure, but not in the Hunter language. Even if he expressed everything, it would be a rushing string of sharp consonants and prolonged vowels, falling deaf on their ears. In short, nothing he could say, though he was obviously in the right, would get them to change the opinions they held against him.

"You." Fei addressed Lucky as he walked past. "Restrain aura in crisis."

"Uh... okay?" Lucky peered questioningly at Feitan, not getting any response from him as he slinked by.

As for Emo Loser in question, he kept his head low, digging around in his memory for any clues or leads as to what could possibly occur during their trip to Aiai. He'd always had a survival instinct running through his veins, subconsciously driving him to safety. It was how he'd stayed alive until now. But that subconscious only kicked up at certain times, so even though he knew something was wrong, no matter how he pounded his head for guidance, nothing came forward. Something was going to happen soon, he could tell. And whatever that something was, he didn't like it.

* * *

With everything—hard terrain, Lucky limping along with support from Machi and Zushi hopping around them in concern, Rein starting to collect rocks again and swooping down whenever she saw a nice pebble, to Fei furiously trying to think amidst the action—it was by a miracle they managed to get to the city within an hour.

They'd all been split up immediately. The programming of the city certainly made it hard to stay in a large group. Shalnark ended up with Rein and Kalluto. A strange party, but they were sure to get some work done.

If only... If only Shalnark weren't so pretty.

Aiai was a city of love and anime cliches. On every block they hit up to search for leads on the attacker, it seemed some sort of person would be trying to sell him roses, tail him around singing a love song, or bump into him on 'accident' and blush. People who he'd never met before called him 'senpai'. It was insane. Rein and Kalluto had had to drag him out of compromising situations multiple times.

Rein seemed very troubled by this, confusion scribbled all over her face. Her hair was mussed from fighting away anyone who wasn't of any help and assisting Shal's efforts to escape, dangling loose over her eyes as she tried to gasp for breath after the last episode.

Kalluto seemed unfazed.

"Alright, I think we're safe," Shal whispered after the three had come running from a particularly tricky situation.

He turned the corner and he was not safe.

He'd bumped into another girl, sending the stack of papers she'd been holding in her arms flying all over the pavement. "Oh no, I'm terribly sorry," she mumbled, frantically trying to pick up her schoolwork.

Shalnark sighed heavily and bent down to help her out. This person, with a drawn back demeanor and shyness hanging around her, was probably their safest bet. "Hey, you seem like a smart girl," he commented, handing her back a pile of papers with a warm smile on his face. "Do you think you could help me out?"

"O-oh, I..." She looked up to meet his gaze. "I... of course."

His breath hitched. Her large eyes were rimmed with thick glasses, their dark frames emphasizing her innocent look even more. She held the books tight against her chest with unrealistically large breasts for her slim figure, and the skirt of her uniform was ridiculously short for something the school board had issued. "I... uh...." He cleared his throat. "Have you seen any archers around here lately? Arrow-wielders?"

"Oh, yes, plenty!"

His eyes lit up, sage sparkling. "Really?"

She nodded, pointing at a Cupid statue. The girl didn't seem to notice how disappointed Shal was, and instead lowered her gaze bashfully. "Was that helpful?"

His breath caught in his chest again. The glasses sliding down her face revealed the rest of her stunning beauty, and briefly made Shalnark think that she was the most wonderful girl he'd ever seen. The girl left with a blush and a quick mention of 'senpai' or another and Shal gazed at her receding back, a small blush mirrored on his face as well. "Bye," he whispered, waving after her with a dazed expression on his face and a hand softly over his heart.

"You've _got_ to be kidding me," Kalluto said bitterly, and swatted down Shalnark's lingering arm. "Don't tell me you're falling into the trap of this city."

Rein shook her head at Shalnark. "And after all the trouble we went through for you."

"Er, uh, right." Shal slapped both sides of his face and snapped out of it, leaving the muddled daze behind and cursing whatever spell the city had cast upon him. Leaning against the stature carved of lime the girl had pointed at, he tilted his head up to a sky filled with heart-shaped clouds. "Come to a place with thousands of people and we _still_ have no leads," he sighed. "I expected this to be easy. What kind of cursed place is this?"

Giving yet another heavy exhale, he slipped off his shoes and rubbed the soles of his feet, reddening. He'd been running about ever since his knee had healed, trying to track down the exorcist and attacker. Except for the times when someone tagged along—even if they did come, it wasn't like they'd helped—he had been alone, with his aching feet and no one to complain to. "Why didn't we just use a card to get here?" Shal moaned, back of his head against the base of the statue.

Both Kalluto and Rein had also leaned back to take a break, tired from stressful running and exhausting situations. At the Spider's words, she picked up her head, puzzled.

"A car _d_?" Rein repeated after a pause. "With a 'd'?"

Gradually, the light entered back into Shalnark's eyes. "That's right, you guys haven't used cards since you got here!" He held out his hand, the expression on his face smug and the corners of his mouth twitching, as if he could barely hold back his excitement. _"Book."_

Rein jumped back, startled when a book appeared in front of her in a puff of smoke. "Stars..." She looked back at Shalnark, who seemed very pleased with himself. "This was a part of the tutorial when we first entered the game?" It came out more a question. She adjusted her stance and held out her hand, a tentative look on her face that contradicted her next strong word. "Book."

Nothing happened.

Shalnark descended into a fit of laughter as Rein glared and Kalluto watched the whole thing unravel. "It's," he wheezed, "not your fault." Reaching into his pocket, he took out a small item and tossed it to her. "Fei told me to confiscate your rings so you wouldn't use them during training."

"Why not?" She caught the ring neatly and slipped it onto her finger. It was a bit loose, but with a burst of Nen it shrunk down to fit snugly, the embedded stone gleaming as it did so. She held out her hand once more. "Book." This time it worked, and the manual appeared before her in a cartoon-like puff. She poked the mysterious floating object once before poking at it again, and finally flipped through its pages; thick paper, with a shimmer that almost deceived her eyes into thinking it was laminated.

"What do you think of it? Fascinating, isn't it?"

She flicked to the next page. "It's empty."

"Yes, because I've been confiscating your rings." Shal suddenly threw up his hands. "Fei's fault, not mine, don't blame me."

Blowing a light raspberry, Rein took off the ring, not knowing how else to make the book go away. She handed it back to Shal, dropping it into his hold. "So how exactly does the whole thing work?"

His eyes lit up with a crushing glint. "I," he said, "amglad you asked." He summoned his own book with such enthusiasm that Rein almost regretted asking. He pulled out a few cards and explained before pulling out a few special ones. "And these are magic cards. There are some for protection, or for hiding your storage from other people, and some can teleport you entirely!"

She snatched a few from his hold and observed them from an angle. "Why didn't we use these?"

Shalnark shrugged. "We used up our stock a while ago, and a lot of traveling cards have been getting stocked up by other players. Besides, it's not like we'll be needing it. We know the attacker is here, and we'll be settling this matter by today. We can handle him with just ourselves. We already know he's a weak Nen-user."

He flashed a smile and slipped his shoes back on to get them going, and asked the one question he probably shouldn't have.

"What could possibly go wrong?"

* * *

Feitan knew nothing about how the others were faring at the moment, but for now, he had the utmost confidence that his situation was the absolute worst.

"To your left! Eight o'clock!"

He swung away from the direction, just in time to avoid the woman who'd launched herself at him. He swerved away and landed a hasty chop to the back of her neck, her body falling to the ground with a loud thud. What a pity that he didn't have the time to enjoy it. "Behind!" he barked back at Phinks, who was at the foot of the steps trying to ward off any others who tried to come Feitan's way.

These people coming at him were not skilled, but they were missing a few screws for sure, and that alone was enough to grant them inordinate power. Force came in truckloads if you exchanged it for your own sense of self and well-being. And these women running madly towards Feitan? Phinks chuckled dryly, and knocked as many unconscious as he possibly could with a light hammer blow that only managed to make a dent in the crowd. These people didn't care about themselves in the least.

Feitan caught the arm of one and threw her down the stairs, which Phinks caught and used to swipe away a few of the others. But they kept coming. Lethal force was definitely an option, and at this point, they definitely would have considered using it. But upon entering the city, the saccharine-sweetness of its sickly aura had tangled up in their hearts, suffocating them and blocking their aura nodes. In short, the pair of Spiders were weakened at the moment, and as long as no one was coming after them with terrible intent, they would not use more energy than they had to. There was a Nen user hidden somewhere here trying to kill off their little group, after all. Fei and Phinks couldn't waste all their energy on these deranged _extras._

They finished with the surging crowd only a few minutes later, but to both of them, it had been the longest and most tiring few minutes since they'd arrived at Greed Island.

They sat down side by side on the rooftop, finally having space to breathe.

"What is _up_ with these people?" Phinks asked. "We've been chased by at least half the city's population of women. Game-programmed people or not, this is sick."

Feitan stayed silent. Phinks had tried to fight them back, but some had slipped by and set themselves on attacking Feitan. He'd tried to kill a few, but some force stopped him. He hadn't been able to physically hurt any of them.

He rubbed his aching neck from where girls had clung to him. Ever since he'd entered the city, it seemed as if he couldn't catch a break, people practically throwing themselves at their pair, and he and Phinks trying their best to fight or run away. Not to mention the Nen surrounding this city was messing with their own aura. This was not a good day.

His sharp eyes flew right to something behind the corner. He reached and grabbed the hiding female, twisting her into a hold. He slammed her into the concrete, pulling her arm up and keeping her grounded, not even allowing her time to yelp.

"Nen user with arrows," Feitan growled as he tugged back on her arm, threatening to snap it. He set his weight on her back so as not to let her escape. "Spit it out or you going to get it."

The girl looked up, and he was shocked by the delirium swimming in her eyes. Her face was flushed a deep red and her eyes were bloodshot as her canines flashed a creepy gleam worthy of Hisoka's, looking at Feitan with half-closed eyelids. "You can do what _ever_ you want to m-"

In a panic, Feitan threw her off the roof, trying to fling her as far away from him as possible.

A small boom sounded at the base of the building as Phinks went and leaned over the railing to check. The woman had brushed herself off and proceeded to walk elsewhere. Surviving a retaliation from Fei at this height? Phinks shrugged. "Murder just isn't romantic, I guess."

After his breathing had calmed, Fei seemed thoroughly confused at the word.

"What, you haven't noticed? All these women have been running after you." He rolled around his shoulders, trying to get the tension out of them from all the fighting earlier. "Aiai, huh? Lust-lust is what they should've called this place."

Lust? With him, Feitan Portor? His eyebrows twisted at the thought before a snicker escaped his lips. "No one coming for you, eh."

Phinks suddenly straightened, defensive. "Hey, I'm plenty handsome."

"Not by city standards you not."

He harrumphed, crossing his arms. "At least I have height like an actual man," he spit, jutting out his jaw and staring down his friend.

"At least I have fan base," Feitan shot back. He grabbed another woman who'd been sneaking up from behind and sent her sailing off the building as well. "Look." He pointed at the flying person. "They love me."

Phinks gave a scornful laugh. "And what a miserable life you're living because of it," he teased. It seemed as if most of the women population of the city had already been taken care of by them, but there were still a few stragglers that made their way up. They weren't too hard to put out of commission, but it was tiring work. He scowled. "Seriously, why'd I have to get stuck with you?"

"Machi say she stay with Lucky so he doesn't die." Feitan started to count off the others, but suddenly realized he knew nothing else. They'd been split up in the city so quickly that he hadn't had time to see where the others went, or who they were with. He dipped his head. "Shal said be in groups. So suck it up."

"For protection against the arrow-user or these fangirls?" he asked, knocking another one unconscious who'd been trying to come up to them. "I'm feeling more threatened by these ladies than some person who relies on a hit-and-run process."

Feitan looked at the sky, at the sun's positioning. "An hour to meet-up. Need info soon."

Phinks rubbed at his wrist. So many people to torture and question for information, but none of them were useful. He sure hoped the others were having more luck than they were. With Fei and the city to work with, he suspected they weren't going to get anything done.

* * *

Kurapika   
Have you managed to get a slot into the game yet?

Unentered number   
I only have a few things to wrap up, and I'll be on my way shortly.

Kurapika  
Good.

After a momental pause of wondering whether to send his next thoughts, he did.

Kurapika  
I thank you for your work, truly.

Kurapika placed his phone down and sighed an empty breath, gazing into the darkness of his room.

He knew the dead would never hear him. The ones he wanted to talk to had been gone for years, and no matter how he screamed or pleaded, he never got a response. He'd learned the futility of it quickly. Still, sometimes, when he was alone, he would try. He would turn off the light, close his eyes, and with only his thoughts to ring in his ears, he would imagine he could reach them. _Pairo_ , he yearned to say to his best friend, _Pairo, leave everything to me. She'll be okay._

This hollowness inside of him, it didn't seem to heal. It wouldn't heal, and it hurt. The eyes he'd retrieved for his clan, he knew, would only give him a temporary satisfaction. He would be surrounded by his family, yes, but he would be surrounded by their remains. And that, while better than having the Scarlet Eyes admired by an entitled rich person, didn't bring him lasting comfort. But he had a purpose now, a motive to strive for. To save someone he had failed to save before.

Kurapika reached up and brushed his hair back, feeling the single stone earring dangling from his ear. It was red, her favorite color.

_Aira's going to be okay, so you don't have to worry for her, Pairo._


	50. City of Love

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> once again comedy-like/based chapter

Shalnark was with Rein and Kalluto, Feitan and Phinks were fighting side by side, and it had been mentioned that Machi was helping the injured Lucky limp through the city. And Zushi?

Zushi was alone.

When they'd arrived at the city, one thing happened after another in rapid succession. Going off in pairs to search for the Emitter had been the plan, but as soon as they stepped foot on heart-shaped cobble stones, there had been girls falling into his hands, people coming up and proposing straight out to some of the adults, and accidental kisses Zushi had shielded his eyes from. When he'd opened his eyes again, everyone was already gone.

He wandered through the streets, searching for someone he knew. Was he going in circles? It certainly seemed that way. He had a feeling he'd been past this particular cupid statue dozens of times, though to be honest, there were similar statues _everywhere_ in the city. The walls, the sidewalk, the shop awnings and the little fountains all seemed to have some sort of red or pink, if not, a picture of a rose or a heart. It all blended and swirled together; everything just looked the same.

At every corner, it seemed people were handing each other flowers, tripping and falling onto each other, or doing stuff that Zushi did _not_ want to look at. He fled from this all, running away, running in circles, lost and confused. No matter where he escaped to, something cursed always seemed to pop out from the next corner.

He ran till his head felt like it would burst open, and eventually he slid down to the ground, defeated. His heart felt so troubled, and he wanted to bash his head in at everything he'd had the misfortune to witness. He wanted to cry out for help.

And a cry for help did ring in the alley, but it took a while to notice it hadn't come from him. It was high-pitched and feminine, and now that he was hearing correctly, pleading and desperate. He whipped his head around to look for the source.

"Come on, it's just a bit of fun."

"Stop, stop it! What are you doing? Let me go!"

Zushi pushed himself to his feet and approached the man harassing the woman. "Hey!" he shouted. "You heard her. Let her go."

He snorted, and stepped in front of the woman with a firm grip on her wrist as she tried helplessly to squirm out of his grasp. "This is an adult matter, kid, you wouldn't understand."

The boy puffed out his chest, his blood running hot at it all. "Ages or not, it's not right to do something if someone has told you to repeatedly stop! And if you don't understand that," he eased into his fighting stance, hazel eyes staring straight ahead, "I'll have to make you."

"Like an elementary schooler could-"

The fight was over quickly. Zushi had landed a solid punch to his diaphragm and a kick to his neck, and the man was already out cold. He dusted off his uniform, and saluted his fallen opponent with a small "Osu!". It'd been a while since he'd taken care of someone like a lot of the criminals that ran rampant around Heaven's Arena, those who liked to act tough but really weren't.

"Oh, thank you!" the freed woman exclaimed, and rushed past him, calling over her shoulder. "I will forever be in your debt! I have a daughter around your age, perhaps an arranged marriage will satisfy you?"

"A _what?"_ Zushi shrieked, in vain. She was already gone.

A soft meep escaped his lips as he felt a sudden weight come crashing down on his soul. It wasn't right! He was a child, and marriage was for adults. And everything that had been happening in the city? K-kissing people without consent was bad! A-and...

He couldn't help but let out a groan in agony. Why was he in this situation? Why couldn't the city leave him alone?

Someone came up behind him. "She's just a simulation in the game, you know that?"

His voice was miserable. "Yes, but she was in trouble. E-even if this was set up, I have a duty to-" Zushi whipped around to the person who'd spoken. He felt like melting into his shoes from relief when he finally saw someone he recognized. His knees suddenly went weak, buckling in on themselves, and he offered up a small smile at his friend, almost panting at the sudden comforting feeling that enveloped him. "Zepile-san!"

Zepile grinned. "Long time no see, kid."

* * *

Lucky drew a sharp breath. He was calm, he told himself. His heart was not racing, it was beating normally. His blood pressure was as usual, though if that were actually the case he should probably go see a doctor. The heat on his face was probably just a fever from infection from his arrow wound, though in reality he seriously doubted whether Pinky would ever make such a surgical mistake when she'd sewn it shut.

He was not blushing.

And speaking of deception, Lucky was also trying to dupe himself into thinking that Machi was not, in any way, close to him, much less with her arm around his waist and aiding him to walk.

"I can walk on my own," he insisted, and attempted to push away, trying not to remember the sight of her hands on his bare chest when she'd been stitching him up.

... He was... really bad at not thinking about things, wasn't he?

Wait, _no,_ he shouldn't think about that. Crap, why was he like this? He took a free hand and ran it through his tangled hair, tugging at the knots until tears sprang into his eyes, like it would somehow pull these thoughts out from his head. If knocking himself unconscious was an option, he definitely would have taken himself up on the offer and 'accidentally' tripped somewhere. But he was with Machi now, and he was already practically being carried around as it was. He couldn't become even more of a burden now, could he? And though the idea of being unconscious was pleasant, the process of hitting his head to accomplish it did not sound as nice. 

So if he didn't want to hurt himself or trouble her, he had to bear with his own mind and pull through the day with Pinky by his side. And really close... He blinked. 

Wow, the tips of her hair almost became transparent in the light, didn't it?

He caught himself and let out a bitter chuckle. He felt like fading out of existence.

"Walk on your own?" She raised an eyebrow, impatient at his stupid question as she pulled him back towards her, not knowing how she was making him feel. "Don't be ridiculous. That wasn't just any arrow, it was a Nen-fueled attack, and even though it hit your chest and not your legs, most of your vitals are in your torso. You're still in no condition to do anything."

Lucky was about to retaliate—verbally, he had full confidence he couldn't do anything either—when a horse came up to their side, whinnying and almost scaring him out of his wits. He would've fallen if she hadn't noticed and knocked him to his knees instead.

Rubbing his aching knees, he looked up. The horse was a beautiful white stallion, with a pure mane and a polished bridle, the reins accented with jewels every few inches. It practically sparkled, and Lucky had to squint against the sunlight to see clearly.

"My lady!" its rider exclaimed, and leapt gracefully down to the ground, ignoring Lucky and gazing longingly at Machi.

Now from a different angle, he could see better. He was a tall man, with shining blond hair and fanfiction-worthy blue eyes, teeth so pearly he swore he would go blind if he stared at his face any longer. When the man bent down, took Machi's hand, and gave it a passionate kiss, Lucky could see a golden crown glittering atop his head.

"Oh, my lady!" the prince repeated, and stood. "I have searched the kingdom far and wide for a woman beautiful enough to be my queen. And at long last, I have found her! Even with your lowly place as a commoner, there is no mistaking your stunning beauty. Come!" the prince bellowed, "Allow me to whisk you away from your miserable peasant life and accept the honor of becoming my bride!"

"Hello," he interrupted. Lucky raised his hand and eased himself onto his feet to stop the Cinderella story, favoring his injury. "Hi. Listen your highness, but I don't seem to recall her ever agreeing to your proposal."

The prince blinked, his good mood fading quickly. "But I am royalty. Of course she'll want to accept."

It was subtle, but Lucky felt his eye twitch before coughing to cover it up. "Well, your majesticness, why don't we listen to what the lady has to say?"

The prince peered at Machi, who pulled her hand away from his grip, crossed her arms, and stared at him coldly. He turned back to Lucky, with a forced smug on his face. "Nonsense. She wants to and will come whether she says so or not."

"You can't marry someone you just met."

"But-!" The prince suddenly pulled Machi to his side forcefully, ignoring the utterly bored look on her face. "It's true love!" The prince kissed her cheek and murmured into her collar, "Now come, my lady. The wedding will be at sunset, and we have _much_ to look forward to afterwards."

Why wasn't she doing anything? Lucky moved forward to intervene between the prince and 'his lady' when a forceful kick landed on his chest, right on top of the bandages. The kick wasn't anything much, but it was enough to send him tumbling back and to feel his cut tear apart once more.

The prince snarled past his fake smile, and looked down on him. "The _peasantry_ has no right to talk ba-"

A few swipes and slashes was all it took for the prince's body to go limp and slump to the ground. Machi exhaled. She looked on, displeased that she hadn't succeeded in killing him before turning to address Lucky, once again crouching on the ground in pain. "You're bleeding through the bandages."

Indeed he was. "I guess the stitches must have snapped or something when he kicked-" He found himself unable to speak when she sat down with a tired expression on her face and started to unwrap the bandages hugging his chest. His breath was caught when suddenly, he winced.

Machi clicked her tongue. "This is what you get for taking action while injured." Already done with the bandages, she pulled them into a neat pile. Selecting a needle from her pin cushion, she retrieved a spool of thread she'd stashed away beforehand, clearly having been prepared for Lucky to injure himself again. "You well know I could have handled him easily. Don't interfere and try to act cool."

"Yeah," he answered slowly, and winced when some blood splurted out of the cut. "Sorry, Pink... I mean, m'lady," he teased.

Machi glared at him unamused, but as soon as his gaze left her, Lucky swore he heard her return a small, "Peasant."

She finished the stitches as quickly as possible, somehow unable to look him in the eye afterwards. Seeing as normal stitches hadn't fared so well against such an unlucky person, she'd infused a little Nen into her threads before sewing him up. Feitan wouldn't mind, right?

As her hands flew faster than normal, she made sure to pay attention to his injury, but something kept catching in her mind. No matter how much she knew her stitches were of the utmost importance, her eyes drifted to the knotted bracelet on her own wrist.

"There," she stated, and cut the thread. "Maybe next time you'll think before you act."

"Thanks."

Machi wasn't sure whether it was sincere or sarcastic, and she didn't care either way. One thing she did notice for certain though, was that he seemed to be looking at her for an unreasonable amount of time. Why was that so?

To their side, a lamppost came crashing down, and they jumped. Lucky watched with large eyes as the dust from the debris settled. He let out a nervous chuckle. "Huh, that... that hasn't happened in a while." Turning back to face her, he grinned. "Sorry about that."

The idea came to her. Oh, yes. With this explanation, everything that had happened certainly seemed plausible. After all, Shal had called this...

Machi looked at his dark mop of tangled hair, at the old scars littered on his skin, and his sheepish smile.

...the city of love, hadn't he?

* * *

Shalnark gazed up at the shop awning. Unlike the rest of the city, it was not red or pink or white. It was green, and that alone was enough to convince him the it was a safe place to be. "We'll be meeting up here, then! The others will arrive shortly." He started to open the door, getting caught on the bell when Kalluto spoke up.

"Are you sure you want to chose this place?" He was chewing on his lower lip. It wasn't everyday he voiced his opinions. "I mean we can choose somewhere else, right? We should probably go somewhere else." It only earned him stares. "It doesn't have to be here."

"Nonsense," Shal tittered. "We'll be perfectly fine here. The colors are evidence of that."

"That's not what I-!"

Shalnark barged right on into the shop, and Rein, after casting a slightly confused look at the boy, walked in after him.

Kalluto's lips pulled into a grim line, and it took all he had to keep it from becoming a whine or a snarl. It just had to be _this_ shop, of all places? He suppressed his complaints and kept his head low, hid himself with his long sleeves, and slipped in through the door before it could close.

The space they entered was a rather empty joint, filled with the calming greens and yellows they hadn't been able to find anywhere else in the city. For running away from the crazy programmed love and talking to others in peace, this shop certainly seemed their last hope.

The one employee walked up to them, warmly welcoming his first and only customers of the day. "Welcome to the Kawaii Treat Caf... Oh, Kalluto, lovely seeing you!"

Both Shalnark and Rein's eyes widened before looking at the Zoldyck, who was shying away from the shop person and using Rein as a shield.

Kalluto, who had shuffled in covering his face, froze. He coughed. "Uh, who?" he let out tentatively, his voice abnormally deep as if he were trying to mask it.

"Don't be silly," the shop owner chided. "I'd recognize our best baker anywhere."

Rein raised her eyebrows, and tried to look at Kalluto hiding behind her. "Best baker," she repeated slowly, doing her best to meet his flitting gaze.

"That's right!" The owner pulled him out from behind her and gave him a firm thump on the back that made him choke on his own saliva. "He's been coming here to learn! Plenty better than I am, at this point. He's just so wonderfully gifted!"

Kalluto yanked his arm out of his grip and scowled, looking away with a heat creeping up his cheeks. "Stop it," he said, though it sounded indecisive.

There was an evil glint in Shalnark's eyes as they sat down at a large table. He slid into the chair next to Kalluto, propping up his chin with the back of his wrist and smirking. "So this is where you've been coming to bake bread. I did always wonder where you made it." When Kalluto didn't try to meet his gaze, it only encouraged him. "Embarrassed, number one baker?"

"No," he croaked. "Shut up."

Much to Kalluto's fortune, Shalnark did exactly that because Feitan and Phinks came into the café, and Shalnark stopped to chat.

It had been difficult enough that two separate circles of his personal life had to crash into each other when he least expected it. Then the owner had talked about it in front of another Spider, and... The silk of his kimono became balled up in his fists as he straightened himself up, prim and proper. Hadn't he just made the decision to be fine with his talents back when Phinks had teased him? Where was all his confidence now? He was a Spider, and a Spider he would be to the best of his ability, but he could have his own interests. That was what an independent-

_(You should just do what Mother says, darling.)_

A-an independent-

_(Dear, you have no use for those things.)_

He was in-

_(That is_ _ servant _ _work, understand?)_

"Nothing," Phinks said, his sharp words finally bringing Kalluto out of his daze. "Thanks to Fei here we have absolutely nothing. You, Shal?"

He shook his head.

Phinks swore under his breath, and peered about the empty café. "So any hope lies on Machi, Lucky, and..." he glowered, refusing to even say his name. "The short brat."

Everyone went simultaneously still. Why did Phinks dislike Zushi so? Kalluto thought he was a pretty nice kid. This hostility; he'd never felt it in the presence of a Spider before. They'd always seemed collected enough to push personal problems aside.

Kalluto was quiet when he spoke up. "He has a name, you know."

"Eh?"

He snapped up his gaze, the look in his eyes fierce. The haunting words of _darling_ and _dear_ rang in his head. He didn't know what this was about, or what Phinks' deal was, but he knew exactly what he wanted to say. "He has a name," Kalluto bit, purple irises keen. "Zushi. Use it."

They glared at the other, neither letting up.

"So!" Shalnark exclaimed brightly. "Since neither of us have any information, I'm going to go ask around for more." He left with a prance to his step, running away.

"Tch," Phinks responded, Feitan's influence rubbing off on him. "Coward." He sat and lit a cigarette, defying the no-smoking sign displayed on the wall behind him.

Kalluto suddenly twitched, realizing what he'd just done. He gripped his sleeves tighter and looked down, hiding his eyes behind dark hair and refusing to raise his head. Locking in on himself, he stayed silent as the smoke wafted through the air.

Rein looked at the door, which Shalnark had escaped from. All that tension in the air and he'd had the nerve to... She took the seat Shalnark had vacated, and propped her elbows on the table. "You know, I can understand why Lucky calls him the 'Devil'," she told Kalluto.

It was then that two people walked in, the first holding open the door and the second loudly saying they could walk on their own before failing to do so and collapsing from chest pain. The former sighed and helped him up.

She sat up, disbelieving. "Speak of the devil," she breathed, before turning to smile at stiff Kalluto. "Er, I mean of the Lucky?"

"Rein." At first, she fully believed that he was going to give her a dead look at the pathetic excuse of a joke she'd tried to make, but that was before he finally lifted his politely tilted head and looked her in the eye. His voice was soft. "Thanks," he said, the hold on his fabric loosening, "for trying."

She wasn't sure how to respond at first, but she settled with a firm punch to his shoulder that almost made him fall. "Anytime."

"Ow ow ow ow ow-" Lucky's little complaints of pain interrupted them as Machi eased him into the chair opposite Rein's.

"It's only your chest," she informed him after she'd settled him down, crossing her arms into their normal hold.

"You weren't the one who got your injury kicked-"

"Machi," Phinks interrupted. "Got any leads?" At her negative answer, he sighed and snuffed out the cigarette. "Capital."

"Sorry for the wait," the shopkeeper piped up, coming with a tray full of glasses. "Juice on the house for friends of our _best_ baker!" He winked at Kalluto before telling them to enjoy and taking his leave.

Machi turned her head curiously to the Zoldyck boy as she sat down. The shop keeper's words ran and processed quickly in her head. "You've come here to bake before?"

Kalluto stood up abruptly, his hands slamming down on the tabletop with more force than he'd intended to let out. "It's just a hob... It's _my_ hobb...!" He tried to hide behind his long bangs, but there was no mistaking the dark red creeping its way across his cheeks. He searched for an excuse. "I'm... I'll go look for Zushi."

His geta sandals clicked against the floorboards as he scuffled out and disappeared as well. "Well," commented Lucky as he watched him leave from the window, "there goes Staircase."

Machi and Rein blinked, but the girl beat her to the question. "Staircase?" She gestured towards Kalluto's general direction. "The nickname you chose for him was _Staircase?"_

"Hey, it took me a lot of time to find the right name." When Rein blinked, Lucky became visibly defensive. "What? He totally looks like-"

The door slammed open, and Shalnark came bursting in. There were signs of lipstick kisses on his cheeks, but other than that, he was as radiant as ever; glowing, even. "I found him," he breathed, before grinning and raising his voice. "Guys, I _found him!_ I found our attacker!"


	51. Bumblebee

The group split up outside the café. Lucky, Rein, Machi, and Feitan accompanied Shal towards where he claimed the attacker was. A large group was better after all, and if they had Machi, they could avoid the worst outcomes.

Phinks went off in his own, "In case it's a dead line," he'd stated.

Feitan, behind his painted skull and dark bangs, had said he would be safe "Because no one likes you here."

Thus prompted an argument of such volume that one could easily hear it from down the block. One could easily hear it even if one happened to be standing in the next alley over, the darkness shrouding them from sight and the noon heat, and the soft smell of cigarettes lingering in the air as they inclined their ear towards what the group had to say.

* * *

"I knew it. You were here, huh?" Kalluto pushed aside a few crates at the back of the alleyway to reveal Zushi, who he'd been looking for. At his slouched figure, he raised an eyebrow. "Have you been crying?"

"N-no! Why would you suggest such a thing?" Zushi wiped furiously at his eyes, as if somehow doing it with force would mask the mistiness welling up in them. He sat on the cold ground, the cobble stones more covered in grime than whatever pink, sugary powder covered the rest of the city. At the end of the alley was a large dumpster, and it was between this and the wall that Zushi had hid himself, covering himself from sight with whatever else had been thrown out. "I have been strong, all by myself!"

"Really." Kalluto swept a look around the narrow area. "It only took me half an hour to find you, you know. You're not the kind of person who would willingly watch all the things that happens in this city; if anything, it would make you uncomfortable. So you would avoid people, and that narrowed down the areas of search a lot. You got a sharp brain in that thick head of yours, so you must have noticed that the alleyways weren't safe either, because a lot of the scenarios happen there too. So the only place you could possibly be hiding at was either the café the rest of us met in before, or the one place in the city where there would be zero chance of anything story-worthy happening." He eyed Zushi, who refused to look back at him. "The dumpsters."

He hugged his knees tighter against his chest.

"Am I wrong?"

Zushi shook his head, not meeting his gaze for a while. "Am..." he said finally, "...am I that easy to predict?" When the other didn't answer immediately, he hung his head deeper. "That's not good for fighting, my master said so."

Kalluto was silent, biting at his lower lip before sticking his hand out toward him. "For now, you just get out of there. Nothing good can come from sitting in the trash."

He finally looked up, and took the outstretched hand gratefully, making sure his eyes were dry with a final rub at his face before smiling. "Osu!"

He pulled him up to his feet with a bounce. "What does that mean, anyway?" he asked, coaxing him out to the backstreets to avoid the crowds that Zushi so hated in this place. "You say that a lot."

"It is a word from the country Shingen-Ryu martial arts form originated from! It's normally used by people who practice martial arts, and normally used as a way to say yes." Zushi stuck out his arms and puffed out his chest to demonstrate. "Master Wing taught it also as a response to respect your superiors. I mainly just use it for 'yes', though," he admitted.

"Heh, so it is something your master taught you." Kalluto paused in his step and hung his bangs low, covering his face. "Hey, how do you do that?"

He looked back, curious. "Do what?"

It felt like the world was swaying beneath his feet, and for a brief moment, he wondered if bile would rise in his throat right then and there. He could hear echoes of his name over and over, slowly changing into 'darling' and 'dear', and suddenly even those being cut out from her sentences entirely. "Just kind of..." How? How did Zushi, someone who lived and breathed what his master had taught him, how did he-? "That, you know? Taking something you learn, taking someone else's lessons and changing them for your own sake."

He seemed visibly confused as he tilted his head, trying to think. "Well, an order is an order, but-"

"Then how?" Kalluto's words were bitter. "If an order is an order and you live with that lifestyle, how-!" How was Zushi different than him, he wanted to ask, but he couldn't find the words on his tongue. If they both lived lifestyles of listening to orders from others, then why? Why did it feel like Zushi could be so light? Free? While he-

"I..." He was surprised when Zushi bent down and bowed. "I'm sorry!"

"H-hey." Kalluto'd head whipped around at the few people passing by, their gazes lingering on them longer than normal. "C-cut that out, stop."

"I don't know how I made you unhappy, but I sincerely apologize for whatever I did!" he exclaimed, his hands pulled tight at his sides. His face was almost parallel to the ground, his brows set in stone and, true to his words, sincere.

He looked at his lowered head, with his short cut brown hair, and the firm shape in his shoulders. Kalluto looked, he saw, but there was something else to it. A sixth sense, he could only suppose, that just made him _feel_ like there was something more. Was this the same mysterious force that had kept Killua from returning? That caused him to claim to have friends?

"Hey," he said, and flicked Zushi's forehead as soon as he raised it. "I thought you said you wouldn't bow to me anymore." He snickered when the boy bobbed his head up and down, apologizing for forgetting and then apologizing for apologizing in a never ending loop. "Huh. You're kinda weird."

"I am?" He looked hurt.

Kalluto exhaled and waved a hand 'no'. "Not what I meant." He sighed another time, wondering how to put it. "Remember what you asked me before, when you were all depressed? The thing about being predictable. I won't say you're not," he emphasized, refusing to give undue praise, "but you are surprising."

"I am?" This time it was happy.

"Sometimes."

"Oh."

They walked on again, and Kalluto brought his eyes towards the sun. Back when his family had all trained together, before Mother lost her sight and Killua entered what Illumi called his 'rebellious phase', his father had taught him how to tell the time from the positioning of the sun. It was crucial, Silva had said, because an assassin could not rely on man-made watches. They had to awaken their animal instincts inside of them, to be one with nature enough to trust their gut. Then his father had taken his large hands and thrown him into the air, playing airplane to practice telling where the sun was, and...

Playing airplane. He missed that.

Pushing those thoughts aside, he tilted his head to the sky. "It's late now. I guess we should just head outside and wait for them by the city gate."

"Kalluto? I've been thinking, and I finally have the answer!"

"To what?"

"Orders," he responded simply.

It wasn't nearly enough information, but Kalluto was perceptive enough to understand it was a reference to their earlier conversation. He'd lost his cool back then, and now that the topic was up, he'd lost his composure back in the café as well. This wasn't good. His mask had been perfectly carved of stone when he'd left Kukuroo Mountain, but it was cracking by the day, today even more so. Was his training wearing off that quickly? "I was being irrational. You don't hav-"

"I think it's less about the order, and more about who it's from!" Zushi declared, bulldozing over his complaints. He stuck out his arms in that weird 'osu' way again, his face bright. "I will take orders from whomever I respect!"

Kalluto was learning how to decode this awfully formal tone. "So just from who you like, huh?"

The words of respect and like, the concepts of orders and carrying them out, of masters and teachers and mentors and parents, they all tumbled around in Kalluto's mind, folding in on each other and combining and breaking into one jumbled mess. As a son, a brother, a Zoldyck and a Spider, where did he stand in the midst of all of this?

The two boys arrived at the gates and made a mad dash through the main plaza, speeding through to the outside of the city walls before they could be pulled into any of the simulations. They leaned against the plaster, Zushi sliding down to sit. He must have been mentally drained from everything that had happened in their short hours here.

"How long were you running around trying to find a place to hide?" Kalluto asked. "You've never been to Aiai before. It must have taken a bit."

"Oh, I wasn't alone for all of it. I saw a friend I made during the Hunter Exam. He helped me stay away from the, uh, scenarios for a little while. But all of a sudden I just couldn't see him anymore." Zushi looked hurt for a moment before pulling himself together. "He did say he was here for work. He must have been busy."

* * *

"He's in there," Shalnark whispered to the group, pressing against the stone wall and motioning for Fei to take the other side of the door to prevent escape.

They were on the outside walkway of a motel, exactly where Shalnark had been directed by one of the city locals. There had been reported explosions and bursts of energy demolishing a few walls, and if put as a dotted line on a map, lead straight to this location. 

Shal stood on one side of the door and Feitan on the other. Rein was behind the blonde, and per his instructions, Machi and Lucky were in the parking lot to prevent the archer's escape. Not that Shalnark had any intention of letting him take one step out of the room. Clicking his phone, it dispensed one of his needles. He held it firm in his grip, the acute end protruding. He drew in a slow breath, readying himself before he broke down the door and leapt in. The attacks on their group would end _today._

He was pleased to hear a scream, but something was wrong with how he'd imagined it. He'd never expected the attacker to be female.

He moved before he could allow her time to react with much else. "Sorry," he apologized, wrapping a strong arm around her chest to pin her arms to her side. The tip of his sharp needle glinted as he stuck it into her neck, inserting it with precision as her eyes went blank. "But we're going to need you paralyzed for the time being."

Her knees gave away first, softly falling to the carpet before the rest of her body followed, the sound cushioned by her thick clothing.

"I'm done here," he informed Rein and Feitan as they stepped in. "She didn't put up too much of a fight. Guess I was right about us being stronger, huh?" Shalnark was confident, and happy that the issue had been halfway resolved without any much fuss. But the expressions of their faces told him otherwise.

Rein twirled her pebble around her fingers in thought, head tilted to the side. "Isn't this..."

"Ah," Feitan affirmed.

Upon seeing that all was fine, Machi came in, helping Lucky drag his way in also. It wasn't until Lucky entered that someone finally told Shalnark a piece of useful information.

He seemed surprised at first, but it grew into one of his go-to smiles. "Hey, Bumblebee."

"Bumble-?" The dull droning filled his ears almost too late. Shalnark jumped back, just in time to avoid simultaneous stings from all sides. The bees rose in droves and even more crawled out from her spherical hat, angry buzzing filling the air.

He recognized this species. Stung once and he would escape with his life, but twice would be enough to kill him. Shalnark was indeed immune to many kinds of poisons. Mainly plant poisons, with some chemical ones, like potassium cyanide. But insect poisons? He hadn't even thought to consider the possibility that someone would come after him with this. Feitan, the only person fast enough to do away with the bees without getting stung, was not stepping forward to assist anytime soon.

"Lucky?" Shalnark asked slowly. "You knew of this. How do you make them go back?"

A shrug. "You should probably start with taking the needle out of her neck."

With a nod and a quiet plea of help to Feitan, Fei zoomed forward and removed the needle, throwing it back Shalnark's way and jumping out of the bees' reach. As they waited and the insects advanced, the woman groaned and sluggishly picked herself up, touching the area where the needle had been inserted. Seeing their master was alive, the bees came to a standstill in the air.

Rein was the first to move. "What are you doing here, Ponzu?"

The woman had seemed like a quiet, submissive person, so it was a surprise when she exploded with: "Minding my own business, unlike some people! Shouldn't I be asking you that question? Oh no, not you Rein, or Lucky for that matter. I'll even let your angry little friend off the hook this time. But _you!"_ Ponzu stood up, rage coursing through her veins faster than the drug Shal had laced the needle with. She stuck her face into his. "What do you think you're _doing?"_

"At ease," Shalnark said, the tip of his needle poking the soft skin right above her heart, threatening to sink in fatally if she moved. "We have our reasons."

Ponzu was in a nervous sweat, but she did her best to return Shalnark's innocent look right back. "You hurt me, my bees will automatically react. At such close range, you can't escape."

"Ah, yes, but our 'angry little friend', as you so well put it, is quick. He could put your bees out of commission easily. Now we have a few questions we'd like to ask you, if you don't mind." Shalnark smiled dazzlingly at her. "You will cooperate, won't you?"

With his weapon above her chest, he backed her into the room as Rein and Lucky took the opportunity to fill him in as to who she was, and how they'd met. "But Shal, I don't think she's the one we're looking for," Rein said, and Lucky agreed with her.

"I'll have to concur," Shal admitted. "Something feels off about this conclusion. All right then. Ponzu?" He turned back at her, ignoring the hateful look he received. "I will put down my weapon, and you will summon back your bees. Do otherwise and my 'angry little friend' will have to get involved."

He slowly lowered the needle and her finger flicked around in the air, calling back the insects. During the process, they both ignored Feitan's grumblings of "It's my _face."_

"Wonderful," he exclaimed. "Now for a Nen test. You know how this works, right?"

"Fine," she answered spitefully, and sat down cross-legged, refusing to get the materials herself and making Shal get them in her place. Her eyes snapped open as she performed Ren, aura bursting from her palms. The water rippled, and after an endless twitching, the leaf shook on its surface. They all exhaled breaths they didn't know they'd been holding.

"A Manipulator." Shalnark brought a hand to his chin. "The attacker we're looking for is an Emitter. I suppose you weren't who we were seeking after all."

"Exactly. Now get out." They all turned to leave, but she called Rein and Lucky back, her demeanor completely changed as to when she'd been dealing with Shalnark. She seemed quite happy just to see a few friends she'd made during the exam and attempted to make light conversation with them. "Glad to see you two are doing okay. Where's the other one? The one with the martial arts uniform? You were trying to calm him down last time I saw you, yes?"

In the end, Shal was the only one who'd been kicked out, standing by the door and peering in every so often to wonder if they were finished talking yet. He didn't know how long he'd been made to stand alone, but finally, it seemed to be coming to a close.

"If you ever want to find me again-" Ponzu shot a withering look at Shalnark to tell him he was _not_ welcome before turning her features soft once more. "-you can contact me through the book. Just go to the player list and I'll pop up there." She'd waved goodbye to the group as they left, and when he'd raised a hand back, she lowered it and walked straight back into her room.

* * *

Shalnark shook his head with a heavy sigh as they reconvened with Kalluto and Zushi outside of Aiai. "I thought such a large city would have leads, but all we found was a lot of kissing and a woman with very peculiar tastes in hats. I guess the attacker must have moved on by now."

Rein patted his shoulder in consolation, shivering at the memory of so many bugs. She pushed him down the path, back towards their base.

"Don't beat yourself up, Devil. It's not like getting a positive outcome was a given in this case."

"Agreed." Machi helped Lucky over a rather large tree root, hefting him up with her hip. "But if we couldn't find any links to the archer, then nothing has changed."

Feitan was poking at his face—was it really that angry-looking?—when he caught Machi glancing his way. He stuffed his hands deep into his pockets and scowled. "Leaving arrow-user alone is dangerous. He can get stronger."

Rein looked about her, at both her old friends and her new ones. The closest thing she had to family, the one concept she'd stuck with when training with the Spiders. They were all precious to her, and though her heart rate was calm now, the thundering pulse she'd felt when she'd found out that Shal and Lucky were attacked had made her chest feel like it would explode. She wanted to avoid that at all costs. Her friends were her family whether they shared the view or not, and she couldn't lose any more.

Gradually, her brows came to furrow. Machi, Feitan, Shalnark, Lucky, Zushi, Kalluto. She felt like they were forgetting somebo-

"Not to bring unbridled joy, but..." Shalnark, who had fallen silent, spoke up and pointed in the distance, where a figure was making it's way through the grass. "That's our nen remover, right? And he... I might just be hallucinating, but is his nen creature gone?"

Feitan squinted against the glare of the sun, and confirmed that Shalnark was not suffering from heat stroke.

Shalnark's expression crawled into a grin. Finally, the moment they'd been waiting for. And with the right choices, they might not even have to cross paths with their arrow-user ever again. "This means we can free Danchou!"


	52. Rainbow Arrows

"If it's money you want, you'll receive your heart's desire," negotiated Shalnark. "The assignment will take a month or two to complete, but the reward will be plenty, I assure you."

The Nen exorcist glanced around himself, surrounded by the rest of the group against a hill face and left with no escape route. He took in Shalnark's light bangs, his warm trickster smile and the needle he was holding threateningly at his side. "Are you the person who's been spying on me for the past few weeks?"

"That is beside the point."

As the the two continued their negotiations, Rein couldn't help but feel her eyelids go heavy, begging for rest. She'd gotten up early, and while she was used to exerting herself, Aiai seemed to have sucked out all her energy. Dealing with Shalnark fangirls had been exhausting for both her and Kalluto, but the aura of the city felt like cotton candy stuffed up her nose, turning brain to sugary mush.

"If you have time to be bored, be useful," Feitan ordered when she yawned.

"How?" She rubbed at her eyes, starting to understand Lucky more and more. "Shal's taking care of things here, and just thinking about the attacker isn't going to get me anywhere." Rein was about to yawn when she caught Feitan looking at her disapprovingly, and quickly turned her open mouth into a closed one so she could blow a raspberry at him.

He wiped his face—a tad bit exaggerated for emphasis—and stared her in the eye. "Then think about Hatsu."

"Nen ability, huh?" Lucky popped in, bringing a hand to his chin. A special ability, differing to each individual's needs and characteristics. "I started thinking about it a long time ago, and I already have a rough idea of what I want to do. I just need to know whether it'll work or not. What about you guys? Not you, Staircase, I already know you have one."

Rein sat down in the grass and leaned back. "I'm already pretty good at conjuring stones, so it'll probably be something along those lines. But just that, I don't really feel like it counts. I'm missing something and I have no idea what it is yet." She took out her lucky rock and held it up to the sky, wondering. After a short pause, she snorted, dropping her arm in defeat. "And don't even get me _started_ on what I'll do when I'm in my Specialist state."

Zushi had been nodding along silently, listening before realizing it was his turn. He bit his thumbnail once, but noticing he was falling into his nervous tick, he sat on his hands to stop his bad habit. "I'm a Manipulator, but... I feel bad if I perform my Hatsu on people."

"Then control an object or something, it's not too hard," Kalluto suggested.

"O-osu, but... I still feel bad. I don't hold the right to control other things."

"...It's an _object_ ," he repeated. "It can't _feel_ things."

His mouth drew taut. Zushi knew no one would understand. "What about you? How were you able to come up with your ability at such a young age?"

"Me?" Kalluto asked. Someone wanted to know about him? "After my older brother... well for reasons, my mother started to teach me Nen. She was also having me accompany her in her activities, and I was skilled at the origami she showed me. So she suggested I manipulate paper. The methods of attack came from my father and my oldest brother." He narrowed his eyes at how much he was being made to talk about his family. Was Zushi sure that he didn't manipulate people?

"Heavy guidance, huh. Speaking of Kalluto," Rein's look suddenly became sharp, "for all the stars, why do you call him _Staircase?"_

"I told you, he looks-"

Lucky was in the middle of his explanation when a stream of glowing light came flashing through the air and caught onto Rein and Feitan, unable to escape the light in time. Rein cried out in surprise as she was lifted into the air, but no one was able to grasp her outstretched hand. Before anyone knew it, the two had been whisked away against their will, disappearing into the distance.

* * *

The light brought them to a forest, slamming them down when Rein wasn't ready to land on her feet. She groaned at the pain hitting the hard ground. Where were they? Was this because of the whole game card thing that Shal had talked abou-

"Rein!" Feitan barked.

She didn't have time to react before he threw his entire body into her, pushing her out of the way just in time to avoid an arrow that had been aiming at her heart. Red, it burst into flames as soon as it hit the tree instead of her.

They rolled away and as soon as he was able, Feitan kicked Rein farther away, into a crook caused by some bushes and a nearby boulder. He lowered into his crouch and looked up at the opponent, gritting his teeth.

He was a young man, with shoulder length brown hair covered in a purple turban-like cap. His diamond-shaped eyes narrowed when he noticed he'd missed, and his teeth clenched to mirror Feitan's. By the impatience he was showing, he was clearly an Emitter, and judging by the arrows, he was without a doubt their attacker. "I was aiming to teleport some of the weaker ones with the game card," he muttered, and drew back his arm, his aura glowing orange as another arrow formed in his hands. His eyes met Fei's in the moment before he released it. "But I just had to get you, huh."

The orange one came straight his way and he dodged, careful not to touch it. That last red one had set the tree on fire. He could not be rash here.

"Fei-!"

"No! Stay there," he ordered, and glared up at the arrow-user, who looked as if he was in awe at Feitan's speed. He moved his foot back, narrowing areas for attack and searching for an opening to move forward. "I take him."

The next arrow that came his way was a bright yellow, crackling with energy. Feitan's body got away safely, but the tip of the arrow brushed against his clothes, tearing his sleeve and sending electricity shooting up his spine. His nerves felt like they would cut through his skin from the inside out as he seethed on the ground, pushing back up with painfully clenched muscles. The yellow arrow seemed to have a wider range, and though he could still move now, it had come closer to hitting him than he would have liked. He'd have to take caution.

"That many volts and you're still up?" The attacker drew another arrow, this one glowing green. "He was right. You are some monster."

With the last, Feitan was no where near his top speed. He was used to transmuting heat and fire, not electricity. But he could still move and move he did, dodging the next three arrows that came his way.

Cleary, the attacker had to send off his arrows in rainbow order. He hadn't reused any, and was following the line of seven colors perfectly. But each special attack the arrows held would only affect him it he hit the arrow head, which meant... He deftly caught the shaft of the indigo one as it whizzed past his face, grinning before snapping it two. He'd advanced greatly during these last attacks, and would reach the arrow-user's high ground anytime now. If he could engage the attacker in close combat, the arrows would be rendered useless.

It was then that the attacker deftly pulled an arrow from the quiver strapped to his back and drew it back, aiming down at Feitan.

Something was wrong.

He could dodge and catch his Nen arrows easily, and the attacker knew that. A real arrow would only be easier to avoid. Fei crouched with a glint in his gaze, daring him to release the arrow to get it over with, but their eyes weren't meeting. The archer looked his general direction before quickly, his gaze slid to the side.

It came to him too late, that after indigo came violet.

"Rein!" he tried to warn her, but the arrow had already been released, disappearing into a void while a flash of purple erupted from behind the boulders. He was relieved when she jumped out a split second later, favoring an injury but alive. It had only clipped her shoulder. But shoving her into such a narrow space had been a fault on his own part, mistake he'd make sure he wouldn't make again.

"Y-you..." His breath shook. "You both can dodge my..."

Seizing the opportunity, Feitan shot forward and attacked his broken defense, able to rip the quiver holding his arrows away. The archer made a last-resort short range arrow with his fingers, releasing it in a red aura towards Feitan's chest. Feitan caught it mid-air and descended, shoving down the man. He would have driven the flame arrow into him too, if the archer hadn't cancelled his Nen.

He pinned the archer to the ground with his knees, one on the small of his back and the other in the crook of his elbow. Feitan held his other arm in a firm grip and twisted it painfully until the stubborn man had no choice but to cry out. "Now," he murmured, his hold tight. "You tell me all you know."

The next few minutes, he had to admit, were entertaining. People called him sadistic, but he was only doing his part for the Phantom Troupe. When he interrogated someone, there were no faces, no expressions of hate or resentment that met his eyes; if anything, he blocked it all out. But the sounds, their pitiful answers and the crack of splintering bone was something that was immensely satisfying. These were not people, these were hollow beings with shadowed faces, and Feitan had always liked delving into the darkness.

But there was a damper.

Rein was there to witness it all. She'd been present for his techniques before. When she was younger, she would ask him to stop, but after the years passed, she would turn her head or leave entirely, humming to cover up anything that could reach her ears. She'd gotten used to it, and he knew that. Yet this time was different.

She stood rigid, frozen in her position and eyes wide in nothing short of horror that seized her body, her joints locking and fingers digging into the shoulder that had been hit by the arrow. It bled and dripped down her arm, but she paid no heed to it. Her brown eyes had been peeled open, unblinking as they stared and registered all that Feitan was doing with shock and an air that he had never known could come from her. It was all directed at him, her pure fear.

He knew those eyes were brown, but when he looked up, he wondered if his vision had gone bad from one of the arrows or if her irises were actually mixed colors. As he looked back at her, Rein's eyes seemed to swirl and flicker rapidly, as if unable to decide for themselves which state they should take.

After the pause in Feitan's actions, the archer spat blood out onto the ground and did his best to be defiant. "Just kill me now," he rasped, panting. "It's easier."

At those words, she finally spoke, voice soft. "Fei, no." Brown clashed on red.

He took notice that her chest had fallen completely still, lacking life. Was she not breathing?

"Feitan, stop," she murmured, wasting away the oxygen she had left. As she spoke softly, her eyelids began to droop. "Fei, you're hurting him. You've had enough, haven't you? He's bleeding. Uvo-" Clutching her bleeding shoulder, her eyes shut, sealing away the Kurta flame. She dropped to her knees and fell forward onto the ground.

"O-oi." He took an involuntary step forward to her body before snapping his attention back to the archer. There was no need. The man had passed out as well, though from pain instead of trauma.

Feitan approached the girl and checked her pulse before sighing. What would he do?

Their attacker was right here, and had injured Rein, and had also succeeded in landing a secondhand hit on Feitan. So it was true that while they'd been looking for him, he'd improved his Hatsu greatly. It wasn't safe to let such a man stay alive. And he'd only started interrogating him, but with a personality like this, he doubted he would get much else. The archer had served his little purpose as far as Feitan could see, and there simply was no more use for him to be around anymore. Feitan could kill him here, finish him off, and it would all be for the better.

Yet, as there always seemed to be when concerning Rein, there was a 'but'.

He contemplated for a time and reluctantly came to a decision. This time, the sound that came from his mouth wasn't a 'tch' but rather an "Ugh."

Ripping the quiver that had been holding the archer's arrows and coiling it tightly, he tied it around the archer's ankles and wrists, double knotting to let out some of his frustration. He wondered why hadn't he thought of stocking up on travel cards as he hoisted Rein over his shoulder and carried the archer under his arm like one would hold a pet poodle. With another heavy sigh, he looked to the direction he estimated the base was and started to walk, dragging the two unconscious bodies along with him.

She had _better_ pay him back for this, that annoying, ungrateful, little scum _brat_ —


	53. Green Grape & Eyeliner

They all sat in the makeshift tent, tense and unsure how to proceed. Rein and Feitan had been swept away from them right under their noses, and they hadn't been able to do anything about it. And if their kidnapper had been the arrow-user, there was no telling what had happened. It was comforting to think Feitan was there, but still, a small history of kidnapping in the Phantom Troupe had shown them just how dangerous it could be, even if the one taken was the strongest of them all.

"Do you... do you think they will be okay?" Zushi's gaze was dimmer than usual. The others raised their heads at his voice, but he made no attempt at eye contact. "They will be, won't they?"

"Absolutely," Shalnark affirmed, though anyone could tell he was saying so just for the sake of it. "There's no need to worry."

They sat there and worried all the same. There just wasn't anything they could do at the moment. They'd only seen the general direction the two had disappeared to, but given that most of the island happened to be in that direction, it didn't help. The attacker had probably taken them to a place without people, but there were many open plains scattered throughout Greed Island, not to mention forests, deserts, and flat seaside. Both their rings had been confiscated by Shalnark, so they had no way to track their whereabouts either.

"It's my fault," Machi stated plainly. "I couldn't connect one of my nen threads to them in time. I apologize."

Lucky shook his head, his nen docile along with him. Why had it died down just now? He knew that some of his destructive aura had been released in the city, when he was flustered, but it hadn't been quiet immediately after that. He couldn't help but wonder whether it was his unluckiness that had caused such a thing to happen. It had always been that way, affecting the people around him once he allowed them to get close. He clenched his teeth and shook his head again. "It's that arrow-user's fault this happened," he said, voice firm. "No one else's."

The archer, the one who had messed up Shalnark's knee and had almost succeeded in landing a fatal blow to Lucky. The boy hugged his knees. "I really hope Rein and Feitan-san are safe."

Kalluto's grip on his sleeves let up as he inclined his head and let out a soft, "Yeah."

They sat still, not knowing how to react, and itching to do something they very well knew they had no means of doing. All they could do was hope, but what good would that do? But hoping was the only thing they could accomplish, and so that was what they did.

Feitan didn't so much as growl a greeting when he made his way into the tent, disheveled and dragging two bodies with him. "Why you all sitting? Get out," he snapped, throwing the unfamiliar body onto a chair and taking a length of rope to securely tie him up so he wouldn't escape.

 _"Feitan?"_ Shalnark's mouth was agape. He sputtered something about the stranger and the blood dripping to the ground before finally settling on: "Where _were_ you guys for the past two hours?"

He ignored him and set the girl onto the floor second, making sure her bleeding shoulder didn't brush against the ground. Just as he was about to let go, she stirred, her eyes beginning to open. He let go quicker. Feitan looked at the rest of the group. "Get out."

With quick glances at the others and another order from Feitan, they all did just so, rushing out with an air of confusion, but also relief. He didn't seem to want to talk about anything, and the man he'd brought in was most likely the attacker, but questions would have to be pushed to later.

They had all just exited when Rein pushed herself off from the ground, brushing the dirt off her face before suddenly gasping and whipping around, only relaxing when she saw Feitan. "You're okay."

"That surprised?" He turned his head, unamused. "Insulted."

She laughed, more from solace than anything before falling eerily silent. "I, I don't know what happened back... back then. So-something was just off..." There was a comfort when he found her eyes to be their normal brown as she said, "I'm sorry."

He shook his head ever so slightly, adjusting his mask back into place and smoothing out the marking in front. "Shoulder," he mentioned.

Rein suddenly winced, as if just now realizing that the cut from the arrow was still there. After having been around Feitan for so long, she understood all the underlying messages of his short sentences and departed from the tent in search of Machi. He'd just turned back to his prisoner when she popped her head back in through the mouth of the tent. "Uh," she started. "Sorry again. Thanks. Love you too." She left once more.

After a long pause on his part and a cough, he rolled his eyes. A small groan to his right brought his attention back to the archer he'd tied up, and he brought a manipulated hand to his neck. He felt the gulp traveling down the man's throat when he came to his senses.

"You will tell me what I want. I've held back. Expect worse." Feitan supposed that getting past the rush of the fight had finally caught up to the man, for now, the pain hit him. He was gritting his teeth together in an attempt to keep from crying out, and there was a small panic in his eyes when he fought against his restraints. Perhaps he wasn't as stubborn as Feitan had originally suspected. He brought his voice low, in the way that he learned would creep through his victim's ears and rattle their very bones. "Why you attacking us."

At first, his lips were clamped shut, but when Feitan pinched his jaw to force it open, he talked. "I don't know! I was just given a target and a huge deposit. I was paid to do this, okay? I don't know anything else."

He pressed a sharp hand deeper into the skin of his neck. "Employer. Name."

"E-everything was done online." He shuddered when Feitan drew closer. "I don't know who or what they look like."

He narrowed his eyes, but with another threat, the man swore he didn't know anything. "How did you know targets?"

"I was sent a picture. You and the blond were on there. My employer said the one with pink hair was someone I should aim for too."

"Was the girl a target too?"

"Well, no-"

"What about tall one."

Sweat began to bead. "N-no, but since they were with you, I naturally assumed-"

Feitan growled and dug his fingers into his arm, not enough to do damage, but enough to warn, just to let out some of his anger. He'd had absolutely no basis for attacking Rein and Lucky, his students. But in his anger, Feitan supposed this information did help some. If the employer only wanted the Spiders dead but didn't know or care about Kalluto, who had replaced Hisoka, the possibility that the chain user was behind all this increased greatly. "Next time," he warned, and let go, _"don't_ assume."

The air remained tense with the new knowledge and the interrogation, until Phinks burst into the tent.

Growling, he hoisted up Feitan by the painted skull on his collar. "You guys left me behind!" he spat into his face, furious. "I was alone in that sick city and you guys just left without me?"

"So?" Feitan twisted the fabric out of Phinks' hands and dropped to the ground. "You're not baby. You can walk by yourself." He saw the archer's bewildered gaze out of the corner of his eye and turned his back, ignoring both of them. "That's attacker. Take it out on him. I go outside."

"Wait, wait, _what,_ oh no, please don't-"

Feitan stepped out of the tent, covering his ears and leaving the archer behind to deal with livid Phinks. He just needed a breath of air right now, and some time to comprehend everything that had just happened.

Judging from the circumstances, the chain user most likely knew where they were, and was trying to kill off the Spiders one by one. The other Spiders had been split off into groups aside from Danchou, so he could assume that they were safe, at least. He would just have to assume for now. That other Kurta had probably only had time to find their place in Greed Island, and didn't know from there.

But that meant he hadn't given up on Rein. Of course he wouldn't have, it just wasn't possible for him to have done that. He'd known this would happen, but perhaps this was his first time accepting such fate instead of shunning it. It certainly made sense too. An attempt to conceal his identity, chasing after the Spiders without a hesitance to attempt to kill them. The cautious methods were his, although his tactics had changed greatly. There had to be something else he had in store, something of greater scale.

Feitan tried his best to think about this, he really did. He had to, or else they would never detect the line and cut it before the chain user could come any closer. He tried to focus, but another event and question kept popping up in his mind.

 _'Love you too.'_ Angrily, he rustled his hair, still not any step closer to understanding it ever since he'd first been told that in Yorknew, despite how he tried to analyze it.

What did that mean?

* * *

"Did Fei say it was okay?"

Machi answered with a glowing thread stretching between her hands. "The order for no Nen strings was set on Lucky, not you. Now stop squirming."

Rein tried to still herself. The woman was the medical expert among the Spiders, and she'd treated them all at least once, but Rein had never been injured to such an extent that they needed Machi to use her Nen ability. This would be the first time, and while she trusted Machi, the nervous energy in her had to be expelled somewhere.

Machi sighed, and moved to the shoulder. The arrow, like it had been with Shalnark, had some Nen infused into it, even affecting some of the bone underneath the muscle. Nothing she couldn't fix, of course. She set upon her task, and went on connecting each shard of bone, ligament, and muscle sinew as she went. But she wasn't perceptive for nothing. Rein had never been the best at hiding her expressions, and by now, all the Spiders knew her lying ticks and anxious tendencies. Her eyes traveled to Rein's idle other hand, which was tossing and flicking her rock, turning and twisting it in infinite loops.

"Why so high-strung?" she asked.

"I do think you're going to fix my shoulder just fine," she answered, the motions of her hands not stopping. Her pebble flipped in the air and she caught it, resuming the twisting. "But it is fine so I gue-"

"That's not it, and you and I both know that. What happened with the attacker?"

There was a slight hesitance in the air, which Rein got over quickly. "He just attacked me and I forgot about his warping arrow, so it was my mistake that..." The rock twirling around the base of her fingers increased its speed, traveling so fast that Machi had to adjust to see it clearly. "I'm just surprised a bit, that's all. That's all."

"Did... something happen with Feitan?"

The pebble slipped out of her hands and fell to the ground.

Machi finished with sewing and snapped the thread, taking in her reaction. She'd figured as much.

"I," Her voice was quiet and she looked away, all the restlessness from before vanished. "I don't want to talk about it. I don't want to remember. I don't know what's wrong. It'll go away soon."

"Rein."

"It will."

Machi kept her mouth shut, cleansing her needle. Was it her place to pry? She should know and would have liked to know, but she wasn't someone who could talk to people skillfully in difficult situations, such as Lucky had been. She could read people excellently, know their motive and their driving force, but beyond that was hopeless. She couldn't coerce people to give up information willingly.

Lucky was rather skilled in that kind of... The way he sat down with people and could bring anyone to talk. The way he made them somehow always smile at the end. And the weight that had been lifted off her shoulders after only speaking with him had been an incredible difference. There certainly wasn't any need for the work he did, but it did help some, with no gains to himself. This kind of... manipulation, he was good at.

Lucky in question jogged up to them, his arrow wound finally starting to heal since she'd used her Nen threads. "We got some visitors," he called. "Green Grape and Eyeliner want to see you."

Rein blinked, evidently pushing aside any of whatever she was trying not to remember. She rolled around her shoulder, dwelling on his words. "Who?"

"You know, Green Grape and Eyeliner? The guys from the airship back at Yorknew?"

Machi wondered if Lucky really thought that his nicknames were easy to comprehend. True, her 'Pinky' made sense because of her hair, and 'Red' for Rein was straightforward if one happened to witness her eyes. But for ones like Shalnark and Kalluto, he barreled right on with names that didn't make sense while everyone else was left behind to wonder how damaged his thought process was and where exactly everything had gone wrong in his brain.

When two boys stepped into view, she realized she'd seen them before and everything clicked.

* * *

 _Oh._ Rein felt like hitting her own forehead. _Green Grape_ and _Eyeliner._

Killua raised a hand. "Hey."

"Rein!" Gon exclaimed, and waved when he recognized her, the wind catching on his green jacket and causing it to billow. He turned to his friend. "So she's the person that you said could help us?"

 _"If_ she agrees," Killua enunciated.

She approached them, tugging her sleeve back over her shoulder. "Help with what?"

He tried to whisper secretly in his ear, unsuccessful for his voice was too loud. "Are you sure? The Spiders are here too, and I don't think they're such a good idea."

Killua shrugged. "It's only Rein we need help from. We don't need to ask the others."

"Will they just let her go, though?"

Rein nodded along until the two had stopped talking to the other. "So." She picked up the rock she'd dropped earlier as naturally as she could and stuck it in her large pocket, waiting for some explanation. "What?"

Killua was about to elaborate when a sudden screech-like shout came from the tent. Bewildered eyes meeting each other, they gave a simultaneous nod and let go of the subject for now, and dashed towards the sound, wondering what in stars was going on.

* * *

"Oh, he's with you?" When she saw Rein and Lucky, Ponzu's expression melted into something more pleasant before she caught herself and tightened her grip on Phinks, who was helpless in her hold and evidently very, very confused. She looked the crowd of onlookers in the eye, demanding an answer. "What do you think you're _doing_ to Pokkle?"

After a shocked silence at the sight, Shalnark was the first to speak up. "Uh," he asked, "What are you doing to Phinks?"

She looked at him disapprovingly, still holding a grudge for when he'd attacked her. "He's been stung twice, but he's still alive, surprisingly. However, three or four times should be enough to kill him."

Like Shalnark, it had been clear that Phinks had never thought to built up his immunity to insect poisons, of all things. While not dead, he was clearly paralyzed, and he had the face of a man who was not used to being overpowered. By a woman with bees as a weapon, no less.

Her expression was so free of any trace of smugness that if one were to take a photo and crop out the part of Phinks being held in a chokehold, one would automatically believe her innocent of any sin. Ponzu smiled this guiltless look, pleased that she had the upper hand. She brought up her hold, threatening to snap Phinks' neck. "First, let Pokkle go. The civil conversation can start from there."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> the idea of Ponzu being capable of completely beating up Phinks when angered was just incredibly funny to me. Like we know she acted all soft later but during the hunter exam she had no complaints when her bees killed a person so... there's a very thin line there separating her two sides.


	54. Loose Ends

"Hey. You sure you're okay just leaving like that?" he asked, tailing after her. "I mean, you were pretty sure about that kid and all. Weren't you supposed to confront them or whatever? You haven't even met the kid."

Ponzu looked back at Pokkle over her shoulder, questioning. "You prefer to go _back?"_

His gaze flew to his throbbing hand, the one Feitan had only begun to inflict pain on when he'd passed out. It was wrapped in white gauze Ponzu came prepared with, but it still hurt immensely when he touched it. Not to mention that one responsible for the damage had been sending him a withering look every time he breathed the wrong way, right up until they'd been allowed to leave. "Fair point."

"Yeah, that's what I thought. Besides," she said, pausing on a hill. She turned back towards the base, her expression softening. "I wouldn't want to intrude more than I already have."

"Isn't that why you agreed to come with me, though?"

"Yes, but..." The wind played with her hair and she pushed back a lock of neon to get one last look. "I was technically his aunt, but now there are others to fill that position."

Pokkle cradled his hand and leaned forward, doubtful. "And you're fine with that." His feeling intensified when she merely smiled her affirmation and tore away her gaze, heading back towards the city they were staying in. He raised his head and complained loudly to the sky. "This is _so_ unsatisfying. Why is it turning out like this after all you did?"

"You're one to talk," she shot back, and grabbed his injured hand before he could stop it, lifting it up. "Take a look at this. Why did this happen?"

He winced, but glad she was gripping his wrist instead of the bandaged area. "Because I was caught-"

"No," Ponzu stated. "This is because you were shooting children. And from what I'm hearing, they weren't even your correct targets. How could you mistake your targets? Be glad the woman vouched for you and said her gut told her you had nothing else to do with it. It's a miracle I managed to convince them to let you go at all, let alone alive."

"And thanks for that," he tried to say, but was caught up in another wave of her precautions. His hand wasn't hurting any less—it was aching beyond belief right now—but he was grateful his suffering ended at that. Getting beat up hadn't been too easy, but permanent damage was something he'd been lucky to escape, especially under the circumstances.

Though still not exactly pleased, Ponzu let go. "What if you'd hit Zushi?"

"I might've been going behind your back and I sure did mess up," he admitted, huffing to save his pride even if just by a little, "but I pay attention. I knew not to hit him, at least, and it's not like one of _my_ arrows could go astray." He ignored the look this earned him. "If you're so concerned about what I could've done, shouldn't you be more concerned about the people he's with?"

Her turquoise eyes flicked to his hand, and he knew he'd won. It was better now with the protective wrappings, but before it had been broken and bloodied, a rather horrifying sight to see. Feitan had done this to him, the one who'd done the least bit of talking yet was the most in charge of the rest of the group that seemed close to murder in various degrees. Someone had begun to—he wasn't going to sugarcoat it anymore—torture him, and that someone also had an assassination attempt hanging over his head. Someone actively wanted to kill off the group for reasons unknown to him. Why?

"I'm not sure if that group can be trusted. Not after all that's happened."

"I know. I know that, but somehow..." Pokkle didn't notice all her smiles until now had been plastic right up to the moment where it suddenly wasn't anymore, where her shoulders slumped free of tension and her wide eyes crinkled at the edges. Her brisk walking slowed for the slightest of moments as she answered, "I have a feeling he's going to be just fine."

* * *

Kurapika  
What do you mean Aira was injured by the person I employed? Weren't you tracking the group?

Unentered number  
I was, but he took them away with a travel card, and I didn't have time to react. No one did.

Kurapika  
Your duty was to make sure nothing happened to her. You had a sole purpose and I expected more out of your performance. The least you could have done was ensure her safety.

Unentered number  
And reveal my intentions? You specifically instructed me _not_ to do that. Besides shouldn't you have made sure that he knew who his targets were first?

Kurapika  
I did, but there was a misunderstanding. Couldn't you have prevented it?

Unentered number  
How was I supposed to know?! I got my hands on a leave card just to tell you this since connection doesn't work here. Shouldn't you at least be a little grateful?

_Last message sent an hour earlier_

Kurapika  
I know I'm replying to your last message late, and I'm sorry. I know you are most likely back in the Greed Island game now and thus won't get my message, but allow me to apologize as soon as possible.

Kurapika   
I snapped. It was wrong on my part.

Kurapika   
I just... I don't know what's become of me. I have been stressed lately. Forgive me.

* * *

Like Zushi had enthusiastically shouted so many times before— _so_ many—he was honored Kalluto had asked him to join him in baking. "This is wonderful!" he exclaimed. "I've heard you're very good at many things."

Kalluto sputtered and coughed on his juice at the flattery. He refused the temptation to pound his chest and instead drew up. "You... have?"

"Yes! You're a skilled person with an amazing Hatsu!"

They were at the café in Aiai, the one where the Spiders had met just earlier to find the archer. Because Zushi hadn't been there before, Kalluto mentioned that he could tag along if he wanted to—so in reality, saying he'd been 'invited' was being too generous, but Kalluto didn't have the heart to correct him otherwise. They'd left the base almost right after Rein and Feitan came back, so they could prepare some food for the trip leaving Greed Island.

He was still shy about his baking and still found it awkward when someone talked to him about it, but given Zushi's sheer lack of intimidating features, he felt comfortable with him. It was strange. Torture and assassination techniques he could easily talk about with anyone, if he talked to them at all. But his hobbies—or servant work, as Mother referred to it—felt like an entirely new world to him. And with such hardened people surrounding him, he felt silly. Anybody he'd ever talked to was either rich, apathetic, dangerous, or older than him. So having ruled out his entire family and the Spiders from his list of possible confidants, the only one who remained was Zushi.

"Uh, sure." Way to confide.

"Shalnark-san said your bread was very good!"

"I'm better at sweets, actually. Chocolate cake is my best." It was an admittance and a stating of fact, but it was a start.

Kalluto didn't really like chocolate, to be honest. If anything, he'd grown to loathe the way it stuck in his throat and made the his tongue feel fuzzy. Perhaps he was allergic to cocoa, but day after day he'd worked in the kitchen, ignoring Mother's commands to come out and act like the proper Zoldyck he was. He'd been the first to learn about Killua's plan to run away, and he thought maybe, just maybe this would get him to change his mind. The small memory of his brother secretly devouring Milluki's chocolate stash lingered in the back of his mind as he'd mixed the batter, testing and testing until he hoped it would suit his brother's tastes. Unfortunately, big brother Killua had left before he could offer it to him, and Kalluto had been banned from the kitchen.

He'd missed his chance before. He failed to keep his brother from leaving.

But he recognized Killua's aura as soon as he'd set foot in the Spider's camp, hiding his presence as he watched him. Eavesdropped. And his brother and Rein were planning to meet again soon, very soon, and Kalluto intended to be there. Killua was the most important member of the Zoldyck family at the moment, and it was his role to bring him back. Nothing else.

Illumi said that the Gon boy was manipulating Killua into wanting to tear himself from his family and his priorities. That friends had no place in assassination, and would only hinder Killua's performance if it continued.

It echoed in his head. That word. _Friends._

"...and I heard a little bit about your Nen ability from the others and it sounds truly inspiring!" Zushi stated, having gone off on a tangent while Kalluto wasn't listening. "I am humbled by your example and hope I have just as great a Hatsu too!"

Kalluto didn't know how to respond to this, especially coming back from his own mental spiel. "You're... blunt," was all he could manage to get out. 

Zushi cocked his head, no doubt wondering why he wasn't happy.

"Hey." His voice was low, his expression unreadable. "Other people, Machi and Feitan and all of them, they... _talk_ about me? Me?"

"Yes. Feitan-san always uses you as an example of what we should be when pointing out our flaws." He was curious. "Do you not believe me?"

"But... why?"

"Because you're amazing!"

Kalluto pursed his lips, and raised an unamused eyebrow.

"W-well! You are smart because your Hatsu is very well thought out, and you know how to be firm because you are sometimes bossy, and you are very reliable..." The list went on as Zushi spewed every single good detail about Kalluto, under the false impression that he had insecurities. Though with the terrible way he was phrasing it, maybe it would come true. "...and you're very neat because I've seen you brush your teeth before and you do it very systematically-"

"Is this what friendship is like?" he snorted, leaning away from the candid praise in mock suppressed horror. "Because now I'm starting to understand why my family is so afraid of it."

"Friends?" Zushi almost screeched as Kalluto regretted every single decision he'd ever made. "We're friends now?" He jumped up excitedly. "Are we possibly _best_ friends?"

Zushi was kicked out.

"Come back in an hour," Kalluto ordered, and shut the door, going to make food like he'd originally planned. Getting a confidant had been on the list earlier as well, but seeing as Kalluto had hardly said anything personal, that plan was out the window. It was strange, but often being the carrier of all his mother's worries, he was starting to feel weighed down. It didn't make sense. They weren't physical things, so they couldn't possibly have weight. But somehow they did, and now Kalluto wanted to talk about it with someone. A confidant for the confidant.

But he was not skilled in talking, so he supposed thinking about everything alone would have to suffice.

It wasn't like he wanted a friend, as Zushi claimed. No, just... someone to talk to, or play with. That was all. Illumi said friends were poisonous. He couldn't sacrifice himself in such a way by having one. Although he supposed those words were for Killua, who would head the Zoldycks later on. As Kalluto was just the youngest son, maybe his family wouldn't mind?

* * *

Zushi sighed, but left with a content smile on his face. He had so many friends now! It was a definite change from when he'd been with Master Wing. There hadn't been much children, and less so adults with time to play. Choosing to leave Heaven's Arena was one of the best decisions he'd ever made.

He strolled down a path that Kalluto said would keep him away from suspicious characters. The path was clearly working, because he was delighted when another one of his friends popped up. "Zepile-san! It's a pleasure to see you again!"

"Yeah," he chuckled, as if not knowing what else to do. "Sorry for leaving you alone before, kid. Work calls."

"Oh, you must be very busy. You were working during the Hunter Exam too."

"Oh, that?" Zepile laughed. "That was just a check-up I did voluntarily. Anyway, how's it going? Are you enjoying Greed Island?"

Zushi nodded, his mouth set but his bobbing head enthusiastic. "I've been getting stronger everyday." His head tilted to the side. "Why are you in Greed Island?"

"I have a few items I want to scout and find. If I can take those back to the real world, they're going to sell for one heck of a price." He grinned. "Money, in other terms."

"Oh." Zushi tried—and failed—to hide his disappointment. Zepile had been someone he'd looked up to, like the father figure he'd never had. Wing had taught him in the ways of Shingen-Ryu, and Feitan had also been a teacher in Nen. They both had made him stronger. But Zepile-san; his words of wisdom he'd offered had never left him, to not be bound to something he didn't like. But to find out that all the man was after was money? "I see."

"Uh, did I do something?" He sounded concerned. "Wait, could you have taken that seriously? I was joking. Sorry if that mislead you."

"Oh!" he repeated, with an entirely different tone. "I see!"

Zepile laughed. "And you still haven't answered my original question. Are you enjoying Greed Island? And you can't respond with 'I'm getting stronger' this time. Yes or no."

"Definitely yes," he asserted. "I've had fun, although it's sad to think that I'll be leaving tomorrow."

Shock flashed across Zepile's face. "Wait, you're all leaving? Why?"

"Feitan-san says there's nothing left for us here and 'this place is waste of time'. And Rein wants to help out a friend, or at least that's what Kalluto told me before we came here."

This time, it was Zepile who responded with the simple and meaningless phrase of: "Oh. I see." There was a silence for a bit as they both nodded at the other, not sure what else to bring up. "Hey," Zepile said. "Maybe we can meet up when we're both in the real world. Bring all your friends and all that."

This sounded like a very pleasing proposal to the boy, and he readily accepted.

* * *

Phinks kicked a can on the side of the road.

He himself didn't quite know why he was stalking Temmi's little brat, but all he knew was that she'd better be happy he was putting in the extra work. He deserved a prize for his efforts, really.

He rubbed his neck. He was still feeling bruised and stung from when that woman with the ball-hat had come, paralyzed him, and held him hostage in exchange for the arrow-user's life. The day had been long, full of attacks and bastards thinking they could get away with hurting the Spiders, and people thinking Feitan was hotter than him. Not to mention he had been overpowered by a woman obviously weaker than him. This was not a good day.

To either his dismay or relief, he hadn't lost sight of Zushi ever since he'd started following him. He'd stopped to talk to a man who looked just as dull as him, clearly saying all those dry 'how are you's and 'good, how are you's. Phinks' lower lid twitched in annoyance. Every little thing Zushi did seemed like a trigger, punching his already loose buttons in the most irritating way.

His mood was terrible, and willingly being around a child he despised was not helping. He didn't even know why he was doing this. Just looking at him pissed him off in the extreme. Brat was really similar to previous number eight in that way too, huh.

He stopped in a spot where he could spy on Zushi, hiding behind a few crates.

He'd been annoyed with her at first; really hated her. And when one hates a person they also start to hate the way they look and exaggerate it in the extreme so they have even more to hate, and that was exactly what Phinks had done. He'd hated the way her hair fell when she turned on her heel, despised her freckles, loathed those eyes too big for her head and especially disliked her hearing aids just because he'd never seen some before. She had just been another annoying person.

But then one day, when his hate had lessened into something that just wasn't hate anymore, the opposite scenario happened. He found himself asking Shal how exactly a lump of plastic in someone's ear could _help_ hearing, and her eyes started to fit in with the rest of her features, and those freckles became rather fitting. Before he'd known it, everything he'd thought he hated just became normal, and she wasn't just another person any longer.

Funny. Everything that had ticked him off at first had suddenly just... stopped. He'd even started to tolerate staring at a piece of paper for hours, though he hid it from the rest of the Spiders.

She had chided him a lot, often over his irresponsibility as a Spider for not doing as Danchou ordered. But those things had fallen away when they both came to the mutual understanding that they were each doing the best they could in interests of the Phantom Troupe. Temmi rarely got on his nerves after that. When he'd started smoking, she had cautioned him on it, but even that hadn't annoyed him as much as he'd expected it to.

 _"Smoking is only going to char your lungs. You'll drop right dead!"_ A smile. _"And I can't have you die. If you fall and split your head open, you'll make a mess of this lovely carpet."_

His lips curled into something that could only be described as an irritated yet somehow soft snarl as he took a pack from his pocket anyway. "Like I care," he muttered softly. He'd just stuck a cigarette between his teeth and fumbled for his lighter when, by mere coincidence, he noticed something peculiar.

He looked between Zushi and the man the brat was talking to.

Their hair and skin shades seemed nearly identical, though it was hard to tell from a distance. Not only that, but as they talked side by side, he was starting to pick up a few habits they both held. When laughing, their shoulders fell and rose in almost the same manner, and when their expressions fell into something more serious, they both did all they could to avoid biting their thumbnail; a habit they were both constantly falling back on. Zushi resembled his mother in his freckles and ridiculously large eyes, but that was about it. Yet as Phinks watched, the other features fell into place like a puzzle. Zushi was young, but he could already see how the height of his cheekbones, the bridge of his nose, and his jawline were starting to form into something sturdier; Very alike to the features the man he was talking to had.

He switched his gaze from Zushi and the man, back and forth. The unlit cigarette hanged from his mouth, forgotten. Phinks squinted; back and forth.

 _Wait_.


	55. Sneak Attacks

When the group left Greed Island, Shalnark took the nen exorcist, Abengane, claiming he would go meet up with Shizuku and Nobunaga to look for a lead on Chrollo and try to bring him back as soon as possible. They wished him luck and he was off. Phinks left the rest of the main group as well, but it seemed he didn't have any solid reason for doing so. He only turned on the rest of them and left without a word, with nothing else but a narrowed glance back to offer.

After confirming everyone else was going to stick to the group, Rein announced she was going to meet up with Killua at Kiken lodge.

It took a while, largely because Rein had agreed to the meeting place without actually knowing where it was. They left Greed Island in the morning, but by nightfall, they were still wandering around somewhere in the woods. This would have worked out perfectly for Rein—there were so many wonderful pebbles by the riverbed—but she was in a hurry. Though everyone else was as equally clueless as to where they were supposed to go, they followed as best they could, and Kalluto was maneuvering through the brush just fine even with his long sleeves.

It was Lucky that was having the most trouble. His arrow wound had already started to heal and he could move about normally, but he had never been the most coordinated. Without Machi to lean on this time, walking through the woods had left his shoes sloshing in mud, countless scrapes across his exposed skin, and a bite from a thankfully non-venomous snake.

He tripped over a tree root in the failing daylight, and braced himself for another impact before Machi caught his elbow and hauled him up.

"Come on," she said, setting him on his feet and giving him a small push forward. "Don't get hurt now. I only have so many medical supplies."

"We're almost there, just about twenty more minutes!" Rein called from the front.

"That's what you said four 'twenty minutes' ago," he stated, trying to keep his frustration from bubbling out.

"Four-twenty isn't a number," Rein replied absentmindedly, turning the map upside down in a futile attempt to guess where they were.

Lucky merely chuckled as he tried to keep a hold on his aura and simultaneously move. But as stated before, Lucky did not did have the best hand-eye coordination. He didn't have the best foot-eye coordination either, because right after Machi had saved him from tripping, he went face first into the dirt again. In the moments that followed, he gave up and lost his grip on his Nen, causing a nearby tree to tip over.

Machi looked at Lucky, who clearly had no intention of getting up at this point. With his earlier wounds, maybe it would be better if she helped him walk. She didn't mind, really. His upper half was rather light, though she supposed that was just an excuse to say she was still fascinated with how... squishy he was. No hard muscle, just a softness about him that made him more pleasant to—'touch' wasn't the right word here—interact with. Aid. Yes, she would have to help him like she always did. She bent down with that intention.

A gunshot cracked through the air, and warm blood splattered onto Machi's cheek.

In the blink of an eye Feitan was at the front of their entire group, nails sharp and eyes scanning for where the attack had come from. A flash of a barrel gave away the sniper's location, but as soon as he moved forward to incapacitate them, his eyes widened. It wasn't just one or two, he quickly realized. He couldn't tell in such a dense area, but his senses were picking up odd sounds one after another. Thirty? Forty?

He hadn't even noticed their presence. Was there someone masking their aura? He took out the first sniper and the second one he came across, but he wasn't fast enough to stop the snipers on the other side from firing at him. He could avoid them, but at this rate, every time he tried to advance another round would sent at him, forcing him to pull back just to avoid it. He wouldn't be able to make any moves.

New blood was seeping through Lucky's clothes, and he grit his teeth in an attempt to keep from crying out.

"Lucky? Luck-!" Rein rushed forward, barely missing the bullet that whizzed past her face.

It was faint, but there was a sharp order amidst the rest of the chaos: "Get the jewel!"

Machi pushed him into the shade of the tree that had just fallen and summoned her strings, determined to neutralize the threat.

Kalluto had never gotten his fan out quicker. They were completely surrounded, with several dozen snipers and other people lying in wait for their turn to engage in close combat once the larger threats had been exterminated. He could avoid a gunshot, but a rifle fired nearly three times as quickly. The only person there who could take out the snipers was Feitan, and he had a hunch that both he and Machi had the same goal in mind: to buy him a second in which he could escape and attack the others.

The group fought as best they could. But few of them were experienced long-distance fighters, and the opponent's nen was nearly impossible to trace. Lucky was shot at least five times through, and Zushi was by his side to protect him. Rein readied her rocks and fired at anyone who came their way, but such an Emitter attack didn't work so well for a Conjurer who didn't have any special features to her attack. Feitan was kept in a cage of firing bullets, and although they tried, Kalluto and Machi couldn't stop the attack long enough for him to escape.

It was gradual, and they were inflicting heavy casualties on the opponent's side. But at this rate, one of them would be long dead before Feitan could finish off the snipers, and that kind of sacrifice was one they wanted to avoid.

A sharp flash of blue broke through the darkness, and the hail of bullets stopped. Feitan used the opportunity to move forward and do away with the snipers, and Rein whipped her gaze towards where the blue had come from.

A figure broke through the brush, landing skillfully on his feet before electrocuting the masked men who tried to stop him. When they were out cold on the ground, he turned back towards Rein and smirked. "Missed us?"

"Killua!" she exclaimed through her shallow breathing. Another figure leapt off after him, and she smiled at the trademark gravity-defiant hair. "Gon!"

"Hi, Rein!" he called through the air, knocking out a few before falling behind to stand back-to-back with Killua, covering each other. His grin was as wide as ever, bold and ready for action.

With the bullets gone, everyone else could move forward to retaliate with ease. A new mood rippled through the air as their attacking force called "Retreat!" Feitan dealt with as many as he could, but the ones running far ahead of him slipped out of his grasp.

"And don't come back," Gon shouted into the emptiness.

Feitan peered suspiciously at the pair, but Rein jumped enthusiastically into the way of his glaring, which nullified its effect.

There was blood on her cheek where the bullet had grazed her, but she seemed perfectly fine otherwise. "Why are you guys here?" she asked.

"No word of thanks? We're your saviors," Killua shot, tilting his head back in a way that made it seem demeaning.

"You just came at the last minute to look cool."

"You made us wait at the lodge for five hours," he complained, and gave Rein a small flick on the forehead, though he was careful not to hurt her too much with the injury on her face already trickling blood. "We were getting worried, so we came out to see if we could find you guys. But to think you'd all be in such a-" He suddenly froze, staring with wide eyes.

Two sets of eyes locked, electrified blue with a cherry purple.

"K-Kalluto?"

Kalluto nodded ever so slightly at his brother. "Aniki."

They both stood quietly, gazing at the other and not making any move to act. It was Gon that put a stop to it. "Ah!" Gon exclaimed in surprise, and grabbed his friend's sleeve. " _Zushi!_ Killua, Killua, look, it's Zushi!"

Zushi was forcefully pulled into the circle. "You two..." His look was bewildered as his eyes switched between Killua's snow white hair and Kalluto's dark raven. Aniki? "...are _siblings?"_

* * *

Lucky was sprawled out on the dirt behind the fallen tree, hidden in its shade. Somewhere he couldn't see, the others were talking and having revelations of their own.

He hadn't expected a bullet wound to hurt this much. Getting shot with an arrow had definitely hurt. But a bullet seared through your skin with heat and tore your muscles cleanly with its dull edges, shattering the bone on impact and causing it to splinter into your surrounding injury. There were entry wounds in his legs, hip, and nicks on his abdomen and face.

"Did they forget me?" he said quietly, hoarse as the puddle of blood beneath him grew. It was ever so warm. His eyelids fell and he would have given into unconsciousness had not he been swept up, causing a sharp pain throughout his body.

It wasn't Machi who picked him up, he soon realized. Somehow, he'd come to expect her to be the one saving him because it was usually her who stitched him up. But the one rolling the tree away and picking him up was shorter than her, and a lot more aggressive.

He could hear the faint barking of orders, and could feel the wind whistling painfully through his bullet holes as he was hastily carried through the forest. The lodge, perhaps? They'd been trying to go there before. Getting lost, the useless map, him falling. It was probably his fault it had gotten so late in the day.

He swore he could hear his name being said over and over again as they raced through the woods, but the voices were muffled and dull. More ghosts of speech and shadows of words than anything, detaching themselves and flying further away.

A deep growl from the person carrying his weight buzzed against his uninjured shoulder; like a cat's purr, he remarked. Soft and almost silent vibrations of "Make it," and "Better be fine", along with a string of foreign words only lulled him closer to sleep. Those words were louder to him than all the frantic shouts of "Lucky, _Lucky_ , stay awake!" going on around him.

He'd always been prone to misfortune, and he had been told to guard the jewel on his wrist. With the attack, it was then that those two finally connected. His laugh was dry and tasteless. "It makes sense now," he murmured. "It all makes..."

His ears could make out the quiet repetitions of "Qǐng, qǐng, qǐng", so soothing that he was able to close his eyes with a shudder and a raspy exhale. Everything felt so warm and sweet as he was swept away into darkness.

_"Lucky, wake up!"_

* * *

Killua cast a secretive look towards his younger brother as they sat on one of the sofas in the empty lodge. Machi was inside one of the rooms, doing her best to clean and fix up Lucky's various wounds before it was too late. From what he'd heard, she did hold an extraordinary ability to reattach someone's bones and muscles, but that meant she couldn't do anything about the loss of blood, or whatever bacteria could have entered his bloodstream while bleeding out on the forest floor. It would be a close call.

Why Lucky was the only one with such grave injuries, Killua didn't know. What he did know was that the Spider he'd liked the least had been the one to hoist his body up and snap at the others to race to the lodge. Rein had sent him off to the showers to wash off all of Lucky's blood, which had stained most of his dark clothing, and even the tips of his hair.

That Spider, the one who threatened Gon when they'd been captured in Yorknew City. The one who Kurapika was after. A _Phantom Troupe_ member, for goodness' sake, responsible for committing thousands of crimes with little remorse.

He supposed that even people like the Spiders cared for their own when the situation called for it.

But why was Kalluto associated with him; with the Phantom Troupe? He didn't want to believe his little brother was a Spider, but with the Zoldyck line of work it was a definite possibility. Illumi was friends with Hisoka, Milluki knew how to contact anyone, and from what he'd heard, his family members had been employed by Chrollo once. He would be more surprised if Kalluto wasn't a Spider already.

That still didn't answer the 'why' though. Was it his mother? Had the old hag ordered Kalluto to? He knew his little brother was at her every back and call. Surely joining the Phantom Troupe didn't fall too far from her nature of demands.

Come to think of it, he'd never thought to pay his only younger brother any heed. Illumi could take care of himself, and Milluki seemed to get along just fine with his computers and gadgets. He'd played with Alluka a lot before she was locked away, and after that his father had pushed him towards training. Killua had never wondered about the youngest of his family. He'd never had the time, assuming Mother was taking care of him somehow. Although they were brothers, he didn't know much about him.

"What do you want?" Kalluto's gaze was keen, and his posture pin-straight compared to Killua's slouch.

Killua slouched further. "Nothing," he said loudly, but they both knew it a lie. "Did Mom put you up to this?" he whispered fiercely. "Tell that old hag I'm perfectly happy right where I am. I'm sick of being told what to do and being controll-"

"We want you to come back." His voice was low, and so were the bangs that covered his face. But Kalluto whipped up his gaze, his eyes a tad too shiny and moist to be normal. "I want you to come back."

Killua blinked and rested his chin in his hands. "Have things... gotten harder at home?"

"Yeah."

"Pressure?"

"Yeah."

"Mom's cracking down?"

"More than ever. I left to find you behind her back."

He gave a small "Hm," in response. Killua had been more than happy to leave Kukuroo Mountain, and didn't really care how his actions would affect the Zoldyck family. If it made matters more difficult for his dad or older brothers, he had no problem. But in Kalluto, there was something akin to his younger self. Maybe it was because he had a knowledge of Nen now, but he could see something he hadn't before. His little brother was under pressure just like he'd been, maybe even more so now that the Zoldyck heir was gone. "Mom's still bonkers, huh."

"Mother's not..." Kalluto paused. "...well, maybe."

They were snickering when they came to the realization that Gon, Rein, and Zushi were staring at the two of them with their heads tilted and eyes slightly squinted.

Rein was the first to talk. "You two are brothers?"

"I know you guys are, but..." Gon tilted his head to the right even farther.

Killua pointed aggressively at his own head of white. "It's a hereditary trait in my family." He started to poke Gon's forehead as he went on with: "Stuuuuupid."

Zushi was doing his best to connect the dots. "I see the similarities. You both are very skilled and talented, and don't really care about how other people feel, and brave, and a bit rude-"

Killua leaned towards Kalluto as the list went on. "Are these compliments?"

"Just roll with it."

The door opened and Machi stepped out, cleansing her needle.

"Machi!" Rein scrambled over the sofa to get to her. "How's Lucky?"

"He lost a lot of blood, and cleansing all his wounds was a struggle. It was an area hard to deal with. But I've stitched him up, and it looks like he'll recover quickly." There was a collective breath of relief. "I couldn't fix him up completely or fixing it would have used up all of his life source, but he should be on his feet by Friday."

"Good." Feitan stepped into the room, drying his dripping wet hair with a towel. "If he die it's insult to me."

"It was very nice of you to carry his body all this way so he could get treatment in a safer place," Gon commented.

Feitan looked down at the boy, lording his one centimeter's worth of height over him. "Who," he asked plainly, "are you?"

* * *

"Commander."

His breathing was shallow and raspy as he and the others tore of their dark masks. He'd thought he and his comrades were tough Nen-users, but the stronger ones in the group they'd just attacked had handled them all with ease.

His finger tapped against his phone as he caught his breath. "Commander, the group received aid from an outside force. Our squadron wasn't able to finish them off." He looked around at the rest of his team, sweaty, bloody, and at least a dozen missing. "We have a lot of casualties on this end."

_"I see. Describe the group."_

"Lot of kids," was the first thing that came to mind. "A few adults though. One of them had pink hair. Speaking of weird hair, there were quite a few strange heads in the group. I think one of them had white fluffy hair. Looked like a cloud to me-"

 _"Ki-Killua?"_ The commander sounded surprised, and his next questions came with a force he'd never heard before. _"Was there another boy with him? Spiky hair with a hue of green bordering on black. Was there someone like that? Answer me!"_

"Y-yeah."

It came out so soft. _"Gon."_

"Commander? Commander, you feeling alright?"

 _"Yes, of course, it's only... things have not gone according to plan."_ A hesitance. _"Retreat for now. Do not engage unless the order comes directly from my mouth, or from the boss."_

"Yes sir." The line clicked dead and he placed his phone back into his pocket, turning back to his defeated group. "Orders from Commander Kurapika. Pull back!"


	56. The Dots Connect

The only reason Feitan hadn't noticed Phinks was following them around was because he technically wasn't.

He _wasn't_ following the rest of his group. He _wasn't_ considering intervening from behind to give Feitan an opening to wreak havoc on the attackers and let all hell break loose. And he _wasn't_ keeping his eye on Temmi's short, brown, boring brat. What Phinks did keep a close eye on though, was the person who was slinking too close to them for comfort.

His gaze hardened with suspicion as the person he was looking at pulled out their phone and picked up a call.

They'd gone separate ways, but had somehow ended up at the same lodge. Phinks saw Lucky taken in there with his blood dripping on the ground along the way, but Machi should have been done fixing him now, so why wasn't he walking around with everything fine so someone could just notice the person watching them already? The dude was clearly an amateur. Perhaps he was too amateur-ish and Fei chose to actively ignore him?

Phinks also agreed that the man wasn't a threat in anyway, at least, not a threat he couldn't wring the neck of in half a second. His existence couldn't possibly hurt the Spiders in any way, but he was wary all the same. Of his intentions, possible connections, what he was clearly hiding... and his past. He didn't know where he was from or who he even was, but that brat had called him "zeppelin" or "zepelli" or some other stupid name.

The man got off the phone with a sulking face, as if he'd just been yelled at. Phinks was considering jumping in and pulling out information from him on the spot when he held up his phone and made another call.

When the man settled down, so did Phinks.

He didn't know what the man was planning to what degree, but his nose was keen for sniffing out people who were working against him. And for all the smiling Phinks had seen him do, there was another face to the man and Phinks would strip off his mask personally if it came down to it. It was just the 'what' that was troubling him. He didn't have a clue on what he was planning. Guessing the inside of a box was so much harder than just ripping the packaging open and looking at it. Deductions were more Chrollo's thing.

"Hey, hey, give me a break!" The man was suddenly shouting into his phone. "You said you'd cover for me! If you find a counterfeit of mine, you bid on the lot ... You don't have to worry about the bidding money, remember? The job I'm taking right now is paying some serious cash. I'll pay you back ... What? What do I look like, a con? ... Yeah ..."

When he heard those words, his heart rate spiked. Phinks tried to cool himself down, but the blood flowing through him had always been hot to the touch.

Because nine months before she'd given birth... the Spiders had been at an auction, right?

* * *

"Go away."

Lucky sat down instead, holding in a hiss at the injuries that hadn't quite healed yet.

"Go away," Feitan repeated. "Sit in bed. Not sofa."

Killua grunted in agreement, not looking up from the game he was playing on his beetle phone. "That lady said you're supposed to be bedridden till the weekend."

Biting his lip, Lucky shook his head. "It's not... I need to tell you all something."

With a few minutes of pleading and refusing to go lay down until they agreed to hear him out, the rest of the group gathered in the room. Lucky had mentally rehearsed for this, but his breath was still quiet when he said, "It's about my bracelet."

Machi understood immediately. "The one infused with nen."

He nodded. "It's... man, I don't even know where to start. I just figured this out a few minutes after I woke up. About my... It makes a lot of sense now that I think about it. Just let me..." They waited patiently for the injured to take his time in collecting his thoughts. "My bracelet. People want my bracelet.

"It's... I'm not completely sure. I'm going off childhood memories and warnings my relatives gave me right now, but I think I'm mostly right. My bracelet has Nen." He twisted the cord off his wrist and held up the jade so they could see it, along with the crack running down its backside. "It's broken now, but before it used to hold a lot of power. And right now, it has enough power for one last wish. And _any_ wish, no matter how big, will come true."

"It grants wishes. Why is that bad?" Gon asked honestly, wondering how one could be sound gloomy at such a bright hope. "Isn't that a good thing?"

Lucky's eyes crinkled, but the look in them was far-off. "What do you want? If you could make any wish, what would you make it?"

There wasn't any hesitance from him. "To have enough strength to find my dad!" he exclaimed. "I want to be able to find Ging and be a Hunter with him."

"Let's say you wish to find your dad," Lucky proposed. "But to have him in your life, you need to remove someone for an exchange. You would lose Eyeliner here," he said, looking at Killua. He hung his head, hiding his face behind a mop of black. "And that's just it. If you want something, you'll lose something just as important. I didn't understand that before, and look where it got me.

"There's a condition," Lucky continued. "I think... It's a sister jewel, meaning there have to be two to work."

"Where's the other one?" Gon piped up again.

Lucky sighed, grateful that one person in the group was light enough to brighten the situation. "Nen can transfer to other things, right?"

Machi nodded.

"So... man, everything just makes _sense_ now..." Lucky planted his fist in his hair to bring his thoughts together. "Given... everything that's happened to me and what's been said, the Nen from the jewels can be attached to someone." He spread out his arms and forced a cracked smile that mirrored the broken gem. As if on cue, the lights flickered. "Guess who got lucky."

Machi had been silent through his explanations, but with a snap of the fingers her deductions were airborne. "The attacks during Greed Island were considerably weak, so the squad that ambushed us today is most likely of a different organization. The focus of this attack seemed to be Lucky, so the possibility that they were after your jewel increases. And if they were aiming at you," she paused to look into his eyes, which she now realized were a dark almond. "I assume the other jewel they need will materialize if you die?"

"Yeah."

The clock in the room ticked ever louder.

Killua slapped his hands down onto the coffee table. "Alright!" He got up to his feet, snapping them all out of the possibilities for what they could lose. "We have a lead that says our friend, Kurapika, is in that organization trying to get those jewels of yours, at least probably." He glazed over how it put some of them on edge. "Gon and I were going to go stop his stupid butt, and I was going to ask Rein to join us if she could. Although," he glanced disapprovingly at the large group that had gathered. "It seems you've brought more people. But I guess given the fact that this organization is a lot more dangerous than we originally thought, we could use the extra help."

"But Killua..." Gon gestured at Machi and Feitan. "Spiders."

"And that's just it," he sighed, rubbing his chin in an attempt to think. "I'm not sure whether their presence is going to bring Kurapika back to reality or push him further down that path. I guess we can use them as backup, or when it comes down to it, _bait_."

"I guess so," said Gon, and lit up almost immediately. "You won't hurt Kurapika for your Danchou's sake, right? Let's work together for now, then."

"No one said yes," Feitan muttered, but he went largely ignored.

Rein looked hesitant. "You wanted to ask me for help?"

"You know how he is." Killua waved a hand around in the air mindlessly. "High-strung and extremely idiotic. The guy wouldn't listen to us if he tried. I've heard a lot from his coworkers, and at this point, a completely different third party is what's going to set his mind right."

"What's important is to help Kurapika!" Gon pumped his fist into the air, but lowered it when he saw Rein's expression.

"No." She took a step back, and then another. "No, I... I, no, not _him_ —"

 _Stars_ , she liked Leorio, Gon, and Killua well enough, but... She knew how it was. She wasn't just some random third party who would conveniently change the Chain User's mind. She was being used for her past connections. But the past was the past. She'd had the bliss of forgetting everything that had happened, and she didn't want to lose that. She wanted to cling to that bliss, the blessing of not knowing all the sorrow that could have plagued her. She'd had enough of it and she didn't want more. She didn't _want—_

A tap on her shoulder was enough to make her flinch. Killua dropped his hand. "What's important," he rephrased slowly, "is that he doesn't kill anyone."

She attempted a smirk, but her hands were still shaking. Her face was a weak wince if anything. "I'm your trump card?"

"Yup," Gon stated plainly.

"If that friend is responsible for this," Lucky took a moment to gesture down at himself, "then I have some choice wording in mind." Forgetting that he was shot and that he still needed until the weekend to heal, Lucky stood up. This would have gone fine had he not tripped and dived headfirst into the coffee table, his crutches tipping over and hitting his already injured legs with the metal. Blood seeped through the dressings he'd just gotten.

"Machi," Feitan said curtly once Lucky had stopped moaning in pain.

She offered her arm to Lucky. "Come to the next room over. I'll bandage you up again." He took the arm and she slowly pulled him up, evaluating the situation at the same time. "Don't step there. That's broken glass."

"Thanks," Lucky said, but ended up stepping on different glass shards anyway. "Ow."

"You've already bled through the bandages I gave you two hours ago," she stated, and searched for wording that indicated she didn't care he was getting hurt. "Stop depleting my supply."

His signature grin was sheepish as he looked around the room and then at himself. He was the only one injured. "I'll try to be careful."

At all the physical trauma to his body, the blood was slowly but surely spreading. Machi clicked her tongue. "I'll have to change the dressings completely."

Lucky's expression went from accepting to alarmed, to very red. "W-Wait, but," he stuttered as he looked down at himself. Aside from the new injuries on his foot, the bullet from before had embedded itself into his lower hip, and another had nicked the inside of his leg. He was in varying degrees of pain in different places, but as to where most of his injuries happened to be? "You're bandaging... b-but that's near my... where... _wait!"_

Understanding that Lucky was in no condition to move, Machi knelt down to look him in the eye. "You need medical attention," she stated, gesturing at the area of injury.

"W-wait, I... it's just glass shards and a bullet wound!" he protested.

She obviously ignored that ridiculous statement.

Now Machi was a strong woman. But Lucky was proportionately awkward; his legs were stiff and limp with pain, and his arms were just as long but not quite as still. No matter how strong one happens to be, it is very difficult to carry around luggage without a center of balance, all the more so if the thing you are trying to pick up is doing its very worst to cooperate. So although Machi was leaning back and trying to support his weight as much as she could, she couldn't help but stagger as she carried him bridal-style to the next room over to administer first aid.

"And?" Killua asked after the two had left. "You helping or not?"

Rein was silent. She considered giving no response at all, but surely Gon with his stubbornness wouldn't let her, and Killua would do whatever he did. Going anywhere near the Chain User was not something she wanted to do. She still referred to him as 'the Chain User' and not 'Kurapika' for a reason.

Locking her grip firmly on a pebble, she opened her mouth. She tried to keep her voice level. "K-Kurapika."

The twitching of a chain made her heart lurch.

There still was a chain wrapped around her heart. So far, it would only twitch less than a millimeter, really. It was a warning system that the Chain User had embedded into the chain. Whether this action was special towards her or to all his chains she wasn't sure, but every single time she tried to say his name, the chain would move. A deterrent, constantly reminding her that she would die if she told other Spiders of his abilities.

That had been a long time ago, but he'd never removed the chain or the restraint. It was as if the chain was warning her, 'don't die, don't die', and going over and beyond because it was afraid that Rein would.

As long as this chain was poised around her heart, nothing could end. "I'll work with you," she answered quietly. "I'm... I'll stop him. I'll stop him, I will."

* * *

In a dark room and clean bandages, Lucky closed his eyes and breathed in, imagining the air sucked in coloring and swirling in his lungs before exhaling deeply.

This was it. He'd come to so many close calls before. He couldn't procrastinate any longer.

He pictured everything flowing inside of him and outside, interchanging and flipping places as if he were transparent, only an empty space of nothing. He imagined all of that and reached out a hand to close in on that exchange, balling it up and concentrating its energy; smoother and stronger. It would swirl in clouds and haze in his hands, his to use as he pleased. Then, eyes snapping open, he focused on a single area, feeling that hypothetical power flicker into reality.

Before him, a scroll of paper crackled into existence, the page old and weathered, but bound tightly in its thickness. Slowly, he willed it to unfurl before him, the frayed yellow edges waving in the air even without a breeze. He held his breath as a dark blotch appeared on the rice paper, before the ink scrawled itself on the page, swooping and falling into letters and words.

He grinned, victorious. This would be his Hatsu, his own Nen ability.

_Eye of the Writer._


	57. Nen Ideas

After Lucky woke up and was deemed to be making a full recovery, Feitan was gone for three days. No one knew where he'd gone or why, and he didn't tell anyone about it when he came back.

A few were tempted to press him for information, but he locked himself in his room and wouldn't come out or respond until they left him alone. So the mystery of where Feitan had disappeared to was never solved.

During the time he was away, it was a miracle no one attacked the lodge they were staying in. In fact, they hadn't sensed any presence of a force around them at all. They occasionally took turns patrolling the area, but it seemed as if the entire attack had only been a dream. Even Lucky's blood, which had dripped out onto the forest floor, had been cleanly brushed over with leaves and dust.

"This is something else," Killua commented, leaning down to touch the dirt with his fingertip. "I don't think any normal person can tell that Lucky got his guts shot out right here."

Lucky squinted at a leaf, but it would take a luminol reaction to determine if the smear on it was blood or dirt. "Since I went through all that pain, I'd at least like someone to notice."

Rein looked through the gaps in the woods, looking for the flash of a rifle or traces of an ambush. "I just hope that group is really gone."

"It's concerning." Killua brought his hands behind his head and lay down on the grass. "An attack pulled back so suddenly _has_ to have some other motive behind it. The whole operation was organized and carefully executed. There were lots of talented Nen users too, and you guys only managed to get away alive because of me."

"And me!"

"And Gon." Killua's eyes trailed clouds through cracks in the canopy. "Think about it. The enemy force was too perfectly parred with the members of your group. They knew where you were going and were waiting for you to pass by with a plan in mind to keep Feitan occupied, and a buttload of machine guns to keep it that way, because they knew that only one wouldn't be enough to hold him back. Isn't that weird?"

"Then they retreat for no reason," muttered Gon, a hand cupping his chin. "I guess that _is_ weird." He sat down, and everyone followed. He asked Killua, "Do you think Kurapika has anything to do with it?"

"The reason they retreated was because two people they weren't prepared for came crashing in." He gave Gon a small, triumphant fist bump. "But the reason they aren't coming back despite the fact our forces just shrunk for three days has two options. Feitan could have gotten rid of them all in three days, but judging how he looks perfectly fine, I don't think so. So the retreat was probably, like you said, because of Kurapika."

"So," Gon gave a hopeful grin here, "He'll pull away from the organization?"

 _"Idiot,"_ he drew out, sitting up to look at Gon like he was crazy. "With that kind of optimistic thinking, we wouldn't be here in the first place."

Lucky shivered when the wind ran through. He zipped his jacket up all the way, trying to huddle in its warmth. Today was the last day Machi said he would need to keep his bandages on, but because most of the injuries were on his thighs or torso, his normal denim jeans had been replaced with loose khakis, and he'd refrained from having a shirt entirely because it hurt to put it on. Since the bandages covered up most of his chest anyway, he'd figured it would be easier to go without a shirt. But now, outside in a thin jacket, he was having some regrets.

He pulled up his hood to his neck. "That friend of yours is in a bit of a situation, isn't he?"

"More than a bit," Killua laughed, but there was a bitter undertone to it. "It just doesn't match him. Not around people like that. Not doing that line of work. He doesn't belong there."

"Really?" Rein asked. "Could you... why would someone... after all he's done, why can you _say_ -"

"Hm." Gon crossed his legs and held them close, rocking back and forth. "Kurapika is a good person. I just know, just like I knew you were a good person, even if you lied. What people did... Aunt Mito says it's more about what they _do,_ you know?" Not giving her a chance to speak, he changed the topic. "You guys said you wanted to think of your Nen ability, right? Need pointers? I think your Hatsu is going to be super important from now on."

"I already have mine set," said Lucky through the muffled sound of his jacket.

He took a moment to breathe in, and as he did, black swirled into yellow and weaved a thick scroll of papyrus. He held out his hand to the paper and snapped, causing it to fall open. All his practice for the past three days had been worth it, for the ink bled words into it instantly. Lucky grabbed the paper from the air and started to read. "To survive now, I need: a jacket." He looked down. "Looks like I'll be fine today."

"What?" Killua shoved his hands into his pockets. "What's that gonna-"

"I see." It was the first time Kalluto had spoken up. "You made your Hatsu give you a list of what you need to get through the day."

"Spot on, Staircase." Lucky showed them the list and ignored their confused looks at the nickname. "I'm going to use foresight. Specialist abilities mostly work on concepts, so I guessed time was a pretty good one to go with. My ability is going to tell me what I'll need in the future. My job is to get that and figure out how to use it. I'm used to winging things, so this should go well."

Rein let go of her thoughts and shoved them aside. Going over whatever she was feeling wouldn't help now. "Your Hatsu is so you." She sighed. "It's perfect. It screams _Lucky_. Meanwhile I still have absolutely no idea. It's been like this for years!"

Zushi raised his hand. "I have an idea, actually. For my ability, though, not yours. But I want to see if it makes sense."

"Oh, great. Coming from the person who didn't want to manipulate despite being a Manipulator, an idea sounds wonderful," Kalluto said, casting aside the bewildered look his older brother gave him. "Let's hear it."

"I will control myself. Hear me out!" Zushi pleaded quickly. "If I control my brain, I can heighten my senses, numb myself to pain, and be able to keep my body working for longer."

Lucky pulled down his jacket. "That's actually a good idea," he marveled. "You could strengthen your endurance and tap into hysterical strength whenever you needed it. I'll bet if you controlled the influx of chemicals your brain releases, you could also hold down emotions like fear or panic. It could also work if you managed your hypothalamus."

"Uh... yes."

"Zushi!" The expression on Gon's face couldn't be read as anything other than proud. And for a person who had been forbidden from using Ren just a few months before to thinking about Hatsu, it was certainly a huge step. "You've improved a lot since we saw you last! Did you become a floor master at Heaven's Arena already? Did you leave Wing because you reached that goal?"

"Not really," Zushi rubbed the back of his head and smiled awkwardly. "I left Heaven's Arena of my own will, and I wasn't a floor master yet. Wing-san trained me hard, but most of my improvement lately is all thanks to Feitan-san." He beamed.

Killua's eyebrow twitched, and he looked over at Gon. "Feitan-san," he repeated. Gon didn't seem to understand how he was feeling, so he turned to Rein, but she only cocked her head at him. In the end, Killua looked at Kalluto and tilted his head in the slightest of ways.

Though they might not have understood each other, the Zoldycks were skilled at communicating without actually talking. It had been a essential at dinnertime, when one of their tongues were swollen from building immunity to a new poison, or when they were practicing staying as silent as possible even when eating. And the subtle glances, the slight inclination of the head, and the doubtful look in his eyes were all leading to one question. Did Zushi know what kind of people he was with? Did he know that they were the infamous Phantom Troupe?

Kalluto's response was almost the same, a repositioning of the head and a small blink: _no._

"I wasn't sure, but if you all think my Hatsu is a good idea," Zushi stood and stuck out his arms, "I will go seek acceptance from Feitan-san now!" With a short wave he was gone, jogging back towards the lodge and hoping his mentor would approve his Nen ability.

* * *

Zepile fumbled with his lighter, unable to hold back curses when it wouldn't ignite.

He'd reluctantly started to follow their group again, per instructions of his employer. True, his job was to follow and report anything necessary, but the reason for his hesitance had been the last email he'd gotten. His employer had contacted him through email, when it had been only text before. And the grammar structure and the way of speech had seemed off since he'd last checked. It was authoritative, but not in the same way it had been when he'd last been contacted, and he didn't understand.

He spared a quick glimpse at the lodge and after confirming no one was leaving, entering, or setting the place on fire, he went back to caring about his smoking. At this point, it wasn't really stalking anymore. Zepile was just kneeling in the dirt and getting his pants dirtied as he looked at the lodge from afar and essentially did nothing. He was cold, wet, and frankly, quite miserable.

He tried his lighter a few more times, to no avail. He tossed it to the ground and gave up, nearly biting the butt off his cigarette in frustration.

"Oi." A flame was held up to his face.

"Oh, thanks."

It was after Zepile had taken the match that he scrambled back in surprise, flame falling and simmering to embers on the damp forest floor.

The man who'd approached him was a good half-head taller, dirty blond hair pulled back nicely to reveal hairless eyebrows and calculating eyes. Those eyes glared down angrily at him, a daunting sneer hidden behind his look as if taunting him before dragging him off to the lions. His mouth was run dry when the man cracked his knuckles and set a firm hand on his shoulder, gripping too sharply for comfort.

He tried to gulp down his nerves along with the realization that his man could crush him to pieces if he wanted to, and judging by his expression, he probably did. "Could, c-could I, uh, help you?"

The man's lid twitched before taking Zepile by the collar and hoisting him up easily. His look narrowed. "We need to talk."

* * *

Machi and Feitan were inside the lodge. She knew better than to question him about where he'd disappeared to. Most of the Spiders did the same—going off on their own—and preferred their more personal affairs to be kept secret.

She was only grateful he was back, because as pathetic as it sounded, she needed his help. She'd been trying to think of a strategy to go up against the organization targeting Lucky. They needed a scenario that ended with the least casualties on their side. But if their entire goal was to kill Lucky, it would be hard. Without much information on the group or any more interaction with them, Machi wouldn't be able to figure anything out, and someone would be long dead by the time she did.

Feitan didn't seem to have any ideas either. If it were only the Spiders, they could probably go up against the organization and bring them down. But most of their group right now was made of inexperienced Nen-users, who were only starting on their Nen abilities. They could get in the way.

As original Phantom Troupe members, they both could think of multiple strategies where their side would win. But a win was not what they wanted. If they won with casualties, it would all be for naught. Both Spiders were under the mutual understanding that Lucky was not someone they would sacrifice.

They were still raking their brains clean when Phinks barged in, dragging a man behind him. "This guy's been spying on you," he stated bluntly, and threw him onto the sofa. "There was also a lookout force on the next mountain over, but I took them out too. Seriously, were you two just slacking off while I was gone?"

Feitan ignored his taunts, his gaze going straight to the man, who he recognized from the Hunter Exam. "Oh. You."

Machi stood up, her threads at the ready. "I can tie him up. Take him to the back room and Feitan, you use your methods and get information out of him."

Feitan's painted skull twisted in the way that they'd learned indicated he was grinning behind his mask. He was about to reach out with sharp nails when Phinks held out an arm to hold him back.

"No need. I already know why."

"Y-you, uh, do?" Zepile swallowed.

Phinks sat with a hand on his knee. "That brat, you know he's your son, right?"

He blinked. "What?"

"Don't play dumb." His voice was lowering into a growl, and he had to pull himself together to keep a normal speaking voice. "You remember. Dyed pale blue hair, freckles, hearing aids. I'd like to see you pull another person from this world who fits that description."

The flicker of comprehension in his eyes, though not immediate, was evident enough to tell them that yes, he did remember someone like that. "W-wait, he's... who? Who's my... what?"

"The boring brown one."

"Wait, n-no. It's true that I did some stupid things when I was younger, but... do you have proof? Because... it can't be true, can it?"

Machi and Feitan were equally bewildered, though they did a far better job at hiding it. The assumption that Zushi was Temmi's—their former number eight—son had been made long ago. Nen was a hereditary trait that could be passed on, and passed on it certainly had been. But they'd never known who the father was, even when they made a brief search years ago.

Phinks scowled. "If you're not getting it through that thick skull, I'll explain from the top, so you better listen good. Ten years ago, we raided an auction house. Guess where, dimwit."

* * *

Kurapika stood with his heels respectfully pulled together, but his expression was livid. "When did you find out of my outside informant?"

The room was darkened, his employer sitting in a chair with jewels that glittered their finest under the dimmed lighting. "Please. Don't assume you were ever out of the sight of my supervision."

"I was under the assumption that the head of your forces was someone to be trusted."

He chuckled here. "The only person I trust is me. People of power and wealth are always targeted by the lower ones. I can't afford to have any faith in you. However, if you tell me why you were relying on an outside force and what for, I might reconsider and place my confidence where it's worthy."

Kurapika clenched his teeth. "I'll have to turn down that offer." With a slight bow he took his leave, setting aside the urge to push the guards aside and slam the door shut himself.

The man he'd met during his time in Yorknew City, Zepile, was only supposed to report to him, and that he had. But Kurapika hadn't known his phone would be taken from him and used to send and receive an email when he wasn't looking. It was partially his own fault for letting it happen, but thinking about what other secrets his employer could have found out about made a bitter taste rise in his mouth. If anyone else other than the people he trusted found out that two Kurtas had escaped the massacre alive with their eyes intact, it was only a matter of time before the world would be after them in an attempt to retrieve the last pairs of Scarlet Eyes for themselves. And people like his selfish employer, driven only with self interest, were not to be trusted.

If he or Aira were placed in such a situation again... he wouldn't know what to do. After coming all this way to lose someone he promised Pairo he'd protect, he didn't know if he could live through such a blow again.

To think that the group she was with also included the person his employer was trying to eliminate sent his heart racing all over again at just what could have gone wrong. He'd been relieved when Zepile informed him that she was safe, though he'd been angry for letting them get into such a corner, along with Gon and Killua.

Kurapika didn't know why his employer wanted the one called Lucky dead. He and the rest of the forces had only been informed that he was an extremely dangerous individual, meant to be incapacitated first before being brought to the boss so he could finish him off himself.

If Lucky was truly dangerous to keep alive, then it made sense for him to want him away from Aira. But she was friends with him, or so Zepile told him. Close friends. Why he was with the Spiders he wasn't certain, but he wasn't a Phantom Troupe member. If she'd found someone to be a true friend after losing everyone, he was hesitant to do away with him. Even if he did try to send out forces to kill him again, she might retaliate like she did a few months ago, and get hurt in the process. And he knew Gon and Killua would try to interfere and get caught in the crossfire. Kurapika supposed he would have to procrastinate and stretch things out for as long as possible.

As he finally set out and traveled the heavily carpeted hallway, his movements were being watched from behind the room he'd just left.

His employer smirked whilst viewing Kurapika from his personal security cameras. "It seems as if he's still hesitant to do as I say." He leaned away from the screen. A wineglass hung from his fingertips as he said, "At this rate, I'll end up taking direct action to get what I want."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kurapika's employer will remain nameless and faceless, because he's only important as a background character (yeah that's right, that's what you get for wanting to kill Lucky).
> 
> also, where did feitan disappear to for three days?


	58. What Phinks Knows

Zepile didn't remember much about that day. He'd been tipsy from some bourbon the auctioneer offered him after he'd sold at least a dozen of his counterfeits for a solid amount of money. The details were all fuzzy; perhaps it had been a cold night, and maybe he'd been in Manttahan City. He just... didn't know.

But after—after he'd gotten drunk, after night had fallen and all was dark and dim, after nearly everyone cleared from the building—he did remember a few key details.

Stumbling down a hall with the cash he'd earned in his hands.

A shining dress.

And champagne, different from his whiskey.

As the night went on and they both sobered up, everything got a little bit more clear. They were strangers, not knowing each other names. If he recalled correctly, he'd mumbled something about his name starting with a surprising 'Z', but he knew nothing about her. He'd been so out of it he hadn't bothered to ask for her full name or to give his full own, or if he did, he didn't remember. Only a few points stuck with him—hearing aids, smooth hair that matched her eyes, freckles all over her forehead, chin, cheeks—but one couldn't conduct a search with just a physical description.

All he'd been left with were a couple of indistinct memories, a breathtaking conversation about the moon and literature that left him feeling strangely light and aware of his ignorance, and the stunning realization that his pockets full of cash had been stolen, leaving him broke.

But in time, he'd forgotten all about it, and he wanted to curse himself at the stupidity now.

"Looks like it jogged your memory," Phinks said.

He groaned and let his head fall into his hands, unable to stop the heat crawling up his face. Just because he'd had no qualms about it back then didn't mean it didn't embarrass him now. "I made a lot of stupid mistakes when I was younger, and I regret every single one of them, trust me. Ugh, I was so _dumb_ back then..." Zepile looked up, slight hope entering his look. "But if you're asking about this, does that mean you know her? Is she here?"

"Died a long time ago," Phinks returned curtly. "The fact you weren't with her might've been one of the reasons."

"Oh. I... see."

Machi's face twisted questioningly as she attempted to gather all the facts. "So you stand by the fact that you remember. Phinks, is it true then, what you said? Is this man Zushi's father?"

"He said it, not me." He was surprised at his own ability to stay calm. Considering how he'd felt up until now, he'd expected himself to be more angry and itching to let off that steam. But looking directly at him instead of from afar, his appearance seemed different, somehow. A non-threatening being that only made him wonder why Temmi had liked such a guy instead of the mysterious figure he'd partially blamed for her death.

"Wait, but that's not... that's not proof. There's nothing as evidence, right?" Zepile asked. "You mentioned testimonies or stories matching up on the way over here, but that doesn't _prove_ anything."

"DNA." Phinks pulled out his phone and started to search. "I asked Shal and he said some test would help. So I stole a hair off the brat's pillow and swiped one off of your head when you weren't looking this past week." He lifted his screen to show them Shalnark's simple reply: _No doubt about it._

"I," Zepile took a moment to readjust himself on the chair, disbelieving. "I have a kid."

Feitan stood up so he could look down on the man, and kept his hands tucked deep in his pockets. "So?" he asked, voice low. "What you going to do about it?"

His eyes started to droop and hold a twinge of a melancholy look, but the rest of his face managed to pull a puzzled air. "Do?" His chuckle was dry and bitter, as if he didn't know what else to do. "Something from my criminal past, which I've been trying to forget, has just... you just shoved it in my face again. And she's _dead,_ and..." Zepile trailed off. "You expect _me_ to do something about it? About all of this?"

Phinks picked him up by the collar, but it didn't faze him anymore. His glazed look didn't flicker for even a moment when he lifted his fist to threaten him. "Take some responsibility," he said, observing his lack of reaction. He was obviously a weaker sort of person at heart, so was he really just that out of it? "It's part your fault of everything that's happened. You weren't around, and you had to go and do it in the first place. Now your kid's here. Like Fei said, what're you going to do?"

Zepile slumped into his intimidating hold, his head almost lolling to the side as if he was barely holding on. "I led to her death?"

"Part of it was the brat, part of it was herself and someone else. But it could have been avoided if you were-"

"Phinks." Machi's eyes were warning. "This isn't productive. Stop beating him down."

Zepile didn't seem to notice the break from the verbal attack Machi had granted him and simply slid down to the ground as soon as Phinks let him. "Heh. I... I wanted to find her again. I wanted to. But I was just a fraudster and I wanted to leave that behind, and." His sentence ended there, all grammatical reason leaving him. "I've made some other moronic mistake, haven't I. I haven't changed. I couldn't be anyone good to the kid."

"We're Spiders. We're the Phantom Troupe. Comparing, I don't think he'd care," he bluntly reasoned, but the man continued to sulk. "If you're keeping up this pathetic facade," Phinks stuck a thumb behind him at his friend and ignored the caution Machi had given. "Fei'd be a better father than you."

"No," Feitan shot back at the word 'father', before realizing that Phinks was giving an opportunity for him to lord his ability over others. He could always feign ignorance later. "Wait. Yes. Me better than you."

His tired smile was a mere crumpled copy of one. "Maybe you should be," said Zepile before a sudden energy flowed through him and he clenched his fists. "I wanted to meet her again, even if just a bit, but I _can't_. It's... just another one of my blunders and oversights. _Everything_. Me, meeting her, making her have a kid, and just leaving without a name was all another _mistake_."

Stumbling down a hall with the cash he'd earned in his hands.

A shining dress.

The taste of champagne, different from his whiskey.

And finally, the sight of her retreating back as for the first time during his shallow take on life, he wondered why his heart felt this way. He cursed himself for not following after her and taking action.

* * *

Zushi's eyes were wide, dry and pulling forth tears of pain.

Master Wing had always told him his strong point was his firm stance, but his knees felt like they would give out any second now. His body went weak and limp all over, but his joints locked in a desperate attempt to defend himself against whatever invisible monster was in front of him, so he couldn't move even if he wanted to.

He couldn't take a deep breath to calm down, irregularities catching in his gullet and choking him from the inside out. He couldn't pull his fists to his sides and shout 'osu!' like the eager person he was supposed to be. He couldn't pop into the room and ask about his Hatsu, as if he hadn't heard what had just been said about him.

Even if he could will his body to act, he wouldn't be able to stop the uneasy quaking in his breath, his slack jaw, or his burning, stricken eyes.

A violent jolt shot through him when he heard the floorboards creak. The sight of the door cracking open was enough for him to take a gasp of breath and flee, far, far away. But even he wasn't able to run away from the word left ringing in his ears:

_Mistake._

* * *

"Help, huh." Killua scratched the back of his head. "Even if you ask, you're going to have to think of it yourself. It's _your_ Hatsu. You do the brain work."

Rein sighed. "I'm just good at throwing rocks, but I'm not an Emitter. I'm the complete opposite on the scale. I can't just rely on throwing my stones to overpower somebody."

Lucky raised his hand. "You're a petrology nerd. Don't a lot of rocks have some special characteristics or something? It doesn't have to be too complicated, I think." He crossed his long legs in thought. "But making those strange characteristics happen is what a Conjurer does to their items, right?"

Everything came to a standstill when she realized Lucky was right. The idea just sparked in her could work; she would make it work.

Gon smiled at how the lightbulb seemed to go off in her head. He'd had the same look on his face when he came up with his ultimate move. It was just so exciting, wasn't it? He was going to say something about it when his eye landed on Killua.

There was something off about Killua, not exactly as if he was in deep thought or brooding over something, but rather a daze he couldn't wake up from. His cunning eyes were uncharacteristically clouded over as he gave a halfhearted grunt in response to Lucky's suggestion. The bounce in his white hair also covered up most of his face, so it was no wonder no one else had noticed. But Killua was his best friend, and as his best friend, it was his duty to reach out to let him know he was there.

"Killua, something wrong?"

He jolted. "What?" Killua asked sharply. They hadn't noticed just how relaxed and slumped over he'd been until his spine shot up in warning, tense. "Why do you ask?"

"Uh, are you feeling okay?"

"Never better."

Gon's face pulled into a childish pout. "That's a lie."

"Is not."

Fine, Gon wanted to grumble. As the best friend, he also had the potential to figure it out all on his own. If Killua was worrying about Kurapika, he would probably say so out loud, because it wasn't anything to hide, right? He was sure that Killua would be comfortable telling him anything because that was what Gon felt, so surely it was the same. And Rein was a friend, so Killua shouldn't have to worry too much about talking about Kurapika in front of her. And if the Kurta wasn't bothering him, there was only one thing left.

With his immensely flawed logic, Gon somehow reached the accurate conclusion. "Is it Kalluto?"

Killua's eyes went wide for a second before he shut them and laughed away. "As always," he sighed, "you're really weird." He quieted. "How could you tell?"

Gon was radiant. "I just can!"

He snorted, but cupped his chin in a hand as he steered his gaze towards the distance. "I just... didn't know he could be sarcastic, that's all. Pretty wickedly too. Heavy blow on Zushi's part."

"It's okay," Lucky said, waving it off. "They're really close friends now. Staircase doesn't mean it, and Freckles doesn't care."

"That's another thing. Before he just used to follow around our mom, and... I didn't think he could do that, you know. Make friends." Killua frowned and changed the subject before anyone could force him to talk more about the Zoldyck household. "Why _do_ you call him Staircase?"

Before he could answer, the one they were talking about crashed through the bushes, his usually neat kimono a dirtied mess. His voice was strangely hurried. "Have any of you seen Zushi?" Kalluto's hair was ruffled on the side from running, a large difference from his normal composure. He tried to flatten it down, his hand running through his dark bangs as if he didn't know what to do. "I've tried, but... I can't find him anywhere."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Q: Why did you decide to make Zepile Zushi's dad?  
> A: *clears throat professionally* after careful consideration of the characters at hand plus the convenient similarity they held, I felt in my heart that-  
> Q: Was it because of their eyebrows?  
> A: let me live my life okay


	59. Burning Bridges

"We move," Kurapika's employer said, watching the lodge with great interest as a boy fled from it, _"now."_

* * *

Kalluto was irrational, there was just no other way to explain it. A strange tightness constricted his breath at the thought of what could have gone wrong, and it didn't come from the obi wrapped about his waist. His normally set hair was disheveled with twigs sticking out of it as he ran through the woods, not caring when his long sleeves tore in the brush. His voice was hoarse, and his body propelled forward with stupidity as he didn't stop to think whether someone could use all the racket he was making to target him.

"Zushi!" he called again, with no answer.

What if the organization that tried to kill Lucky made a move on Zushi instead, to draw him out? Was he being pressed for information? Worse? Dead?

Maybe it was the fact that Zushi was weaker than him, but Kalluto couldn't stop horrible fantasies from streaming through his head. He'd never known this feeling before with his family, because he knew they could all handle it. But upon feeling it now, it made him sick to his stomach. He was... worried.

There was a spike of elation when he saw movement, but it was just Machi coming to meet him.

"Did you-?" Kalluto paused as soon as she shook her head.

"I got separated from Lucky while searching." Her eyes quickly assessed the situation. "Have you been alone? It's best to act in groups or pairs, especially if we don't know when we will be targeted again."

Kalluto stayed silent, his head tilted down. It was a surprise when she spoke again, answering all his internal questions concisely.

"The possibility that the organization the chain user is associated with did this is high, but it's not for certain. Don't get your hopes up, but despairing won't do any good either."

"Am I that easy to read?"

"The situation made it easy to tell."

Kalluto gave a dry scoff and lowered himself to the ground, letting the clothes his mother had carefully chosen for him get dirtied. "That's... not good." His mask, his iron mask was crumbling apart by the second. "He could be getting tortured for information right now, or used as bait, or already-" His stomach knotted, and he eased a hand to it in a futile attempt to get it to heal. "-dead, and I don't even, I can't _do_ anything. He's not all that strong-" His mask of stone and iron turned to dust as he squeezed his own arms in an attempt to calm himself.

This worry was something he'd never experienced. Everybody he'd known until now he knew would always come back safe, so matter what. Danger had never been a part of the Zoldyck life, not the kind which could threaten their existence.

"Again," Machi repeated, "That's only a possibility. He could have left of his own volition."

"I suppose," he found himself saying. Kalluto cleared his throat and drew himself up, pin-straight and proper. With a deep breath, he brushed the dirt off his sleeves and renewed the stoic look on his face. This was all he could do for now, repair the mask that had been broken down. Worry flowed foreign through his veins as he focused all his efforts on not letting it show.

He followed Machi back quietly. If he could do nothing, fine. He would take the neutral look of hers and try to make it his own, to have his old look back when they found Zushi. He had to be fine.

After even Kukuroo Mountain didn't feel like home anymore, he didn't want to lose his one and only friend. His—Zushi's wording echoed in his head— _best_ friend.

* * *

Zushi's head was awhirl.

Feitan, Machi, Phinks. They were all Spiders? The Phantom Troupe who murdered and stole as they wished? He couldn't believe it—he didn't _want_ to believe it—but Phinks had said it himself. Did that mean Rein, Lucky, and Kalluto were as well? He was sure Phinks hadn't been talking about Gon or Killua, but just the _possibility_...

Tears were streaming down his face, and he didn't know where they were coming from. It wasn't anything to cry over. His world had just been turned inside out and burned to ashes, but surely he could control himself. His Hatsu was all about that; why couldn't he hold back his feelings now? Nothing identifiable was churning in his stomach, but it was all bitter acid and black tar, and he didn't like it. He tried to wipe away his tears, but his hands fell numbly to his sides.

 _Spiders_. He should have known. Had he been conveniently out of the way whenever the topic was discussed? Or had they hidden it from him?

But terrible as they were, he was also terrible, wasn't he? He'd heard it, that it was partly his fault his own mother had... well, everything had pointed towards suicide, hadn't it? Everything Wing had told him plus the new information came crashing down on him all at once. A father, a son, a mother, then disappearing one by one. And if it was his fault that it had all happened, wasn't he so much worse? He was. He'd driven her to...

He'd been nothing but a mistake.

His own _mother_ , who he'd had the gall to say he would forgive. It wasn't her fault. Part of it... was him. And holding that responsibility came with a heavy toll.

The forest came to a sudden stop, and his eyes were met with the sight of a bridge.

Master Wing had told him his mother left him in his care personally, and adding in details from both his account and what he'd happened to hear led him to this. If one traveled away from the city around Heaven's Arena... there was a canyon only a twenty minute drive away.

Without quite understanding what he was doing, he drifted towards the structure. He hefted himself up to look over the bridge's railing, wondering just what she would've thought when she jumped, how horrible he must have made her feel to push her to that point. He peered down.

It must have been a very long fall.

* * *

Phinks was no stranger to the word 'stupid'.

He'd been called that by the merchants in the streets of Meteor City, who chased him away when he wanted a short day of work to take advantage of their food. He'd been called that by the mafia members who tried to recruit him back when he didn't have any dreams other than high-tailing it out of the god-forsaken dump. He remembering passing by in the alleys when he was younger, hearing his description with the word to warn others lest he come to steal. Even Feitan, the first friend he'd ever had, used the word often.

And you know what? Maybe they were right, fine, whatever. He couldn't memorize the mechanical things of a computer, like Shalnark. He couldn't string people along on his every word, like Chrollo. He could never dream of being able to deduce people's intentions, abilities, fakes, or other stuff the way Machi did. Sure, maybe he wasn't all that, but he was strong, wasn't he? He was powerful and built on brawn, and that was all that mattered for him. He might not have been _smart..._

 _..._ but it wasn't his fault.

 _"Phinks,"_ she'd said, _"do you have trouble reading?"_

He'd scoffed. _"All squirming spiders with their wriggling legs. But who cares? What're you gonna do about it?"_

It turned out, she would do a lot. She would pull out her copy of "And Then There Were None", and help him sound out each letter amidst the fantasies of murder. And even when it took him ages to get through one sentence, even when he pronounced something wrong, she would never, ever call him stupid.

Pushing through the denser part of the woods, his hands had almost made every single letter of her name before he burst out of the foliage. Immediately, his eyes caught on the bridge and the kid standing there, looking down.

He moved quickly, speeding to him and grabbing onto the kid's waist before he could take the next step. "Don't jump," he growled, breathing suddenly shallow. "Don't jump you brat, or I'll kill you."

Zushi looked down at Phinks, clutching him tightly. The silent tears rolled into a standstill as he hopped down on the right side. "I won't," he replied simply. "I won't."

"Good," he breathed, but forced him to sit on the ground right along with him. "Good."

Nothing had happened, but Phinks' heart was racing right now, pounding and screaming against the bars of his rib cage. He clenched his teeth and leaned his head back against the skeleton of the bridge to tame it.

"Are you," Zushi's voice came quiet, and Phinks found that the tone he took annoyed him less than before. "...the Phantom Troupe?"

He nodded, lungs short of air. "Problem?"

"I don't know. Maybe." He bit his thumbnail before quickly moving his hands back to his sides. "Is Zepile really my father?"

"Heh. You we're listening in?" Phinks looked at the sky, tailing clouds as he would prey. "Yeah. He is."

"And my mother." Zushi stopped there, and hugged his knees. "Because... you said it was part my fault that she's-"

"Dead." Phinks shrugged, "No way around it."

A gulp, and he stayed silent.

Phinks cast him a sideways glance before sighing. "Listen, kid," he exhaled, the first time calling him anything other than 'brat'. "It's maybe not entirely... if you were really eavesdropping, you know I blamed a lot of people. Your old man, a previous Spider. The names you get called after you have a kid are different than when you don't. And to be completely honest, I _used_ some of those. It was the one time I was really, _really_ stupid. So," He turned his body ever so slightly Zushi's way. "I think it was a bit me. Not just all you or all someone else."

"I see. Phinks-san?" Zushi looked up and smiled. "Thank you."

He scoffed and looked away. "Just stop your pathetic moping and I'll be happy."

"Okay then," he responded, but there was a content bouncing to his toes as he said so. "Phinks-san?"

"Stop with the formal stuff. It's weird."

"Did you not like me at first?"

"Despised, really. Miracle I haven't murdered you."

Zushi cocked his head with an innocent look, clearly labeling the indirect threat as unimportant. "Why didn't you like me?"

"You..." Phinks groaned here, unsure of what to say. "You reminded... you just really got on my nerves, alright?" he said, irritated.

"Does it have something to do with my mother?"

_"No."_

"Did you like her?"

"How old are you?" Phinks snapped. "Five? Ten? You're practically a baby, you're too young for this kind of trash talk. Shut up. We're finished here."

Zushi peered into the deep ravine below, and it took a lot for Phinks to refrain from grabbing his collar so he couldn't go further. "Was it," Zushi started to ask, "really my fault? If I hadn't been born, would she still be alive? I know you said it's not my fault, but I'm the _cause_."

"No," Phinks said simply. "It's no one's fault. These kind of things just aren't the kind of cause and effect you're thinking of." He quickly tried to shove aside his sense of relief when Zushi left it at a small _'hm'_ and drew his head back between the railing bars. "I blame things, alright? It's what I do. Deal with it and don't take what I say word for word next time."

"Phinks-san?" Zushi came asking again, and Phinks had to bite back a few curses. More questions? "What was my mother like? As a person?"

His weakness: descriptions. What could he possibly say with his words that would be accurate? Words and flowery speech had been her thing, not his. True, she'd helped him to read, but he'd been more busy looking at each letter instead of the vocabulary. Somehow spinning an entire image without actually seeing it was what she was good at, and he'd only sat back to listen because he couldn't do it himself. So what could _he_ possibly say?

"She had a real nice pair of..." He suddenly paused and looked down at the kid, patiently waiting for his next words with large doe eyes trained on him. "...ears," he finished neatly. Phinks supported his body weight on the heels of his palms, and ignored the polite but confused look the child gave him. "Actually, she couldn't hear too well. She had hearing aids, these chunky plastic things she stuck on the sides of her head. When she thought I was being annoying, she took them off and waved them in my face. She did that a lot, going overboard to prove a point.

"I'll be honest, I'm running out of things to say right now. She was a book nerd. And one time she tried to get me to do sign language." Phinks remembered her hands on his, guiding them when he couldn't get it right. He'd learned quickly, but only because he'd looked everything up later when she wasn't looking. "A terrible teacher, really. I had to show her up by being better than her because I couldn't remember anything she said." Phinks looked down at the kid suspiciously. "What else are you trying to pull from me?"

Zushi shook his head, and it was only then that Phinks realized he must have been crying for a while before he'd shown up, because the front of his uniform was damp. "Just keep talking." He seemed tired, and closed his eyes to listen.

"You brat. Going to force me to talk, eh?" Phinks sneered. "Despicable."

But despite the despicableness, Phinks did talk for a while, pulling out random memories. Her shoulders were too big, her eyes even bigger, too tall for his tastes, amazed that she hadn't gone blind from staying up too late with her nose in some copy of some book. Through this all, Zushi was lulled closer and closer to sleep, his head bobbing sleepily every few dozen seconds. Phinks briefly considered moving out of the way so he wouldn't have to end up being used as a pillow, but he didn't move. He stopped talking when it seemed like Zushi had stopped paying attention, and looked down, placing bets with himself on when the kid would finally knock out.

But Zushi never did get to sleep, because someone started calling his name from far away.

Kalluto burst through the woods and rushed onto the bridge quickly, not hesitating before pulling up his friend and giving him a hug. After this, however, he immediately pulled back.

His lids were still only half open, but Zushi had back his energetic voice. "Best friends?"

"What are you, stupid?" was all that Kalluto returned.

Machi followed out of the forest and walked calmly up to the group. She moved to land a hit on Phinks, but he blocked it. "If you've found him," she said, "get back to the lodge without wasting anyone else's energy." She took out her phone and messaged the rest of the party that it had been a false alarm, that Zushi was safe with Phinks, of all people.

She urged them to return to the lodge. Just because Zushi had been fine this time didn't mean the organization wouldn't try to finish them off once a chance opened up. Phinks walked slowly in spite of this, daring anyone who would go up against the Spiders to just come and try. He could deal with them.

It took an hour for them to return, but immediately, something was wrong. Feitan, Rein, Gon, Killua, and even Zepile were sitting on the sofas, but someone was missing.

Machi spoke up. "Where's Lucky?"

"Wasn't he with you?" Gon asked.

"We were separated during..." The sudden rush of realization struck her as she pulled out her phone again, placing it next to her ear. It had been more than an hour since she'd sent the text for everyone to return, and she found it unlikely he would go somewhere more than an hour's walk away. Still, she allowed herself to hope, but it all came crashing down when a dull tone entered her ears.

Machi lowered the phone. "He's not picking up."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "Burning bridges" means to completely mess up (basically) but for me, it has a different meaning.   
> For me, it means that you can mess up, but also cut your ties to those mess ups and keep moving forward. Keep moving forward even after something goes wrong, and build a new bridge.
> 
> So that's the reasoning behind this chapter's title.


	60. Where Everything Goes Wrong

Rein woke up with a start, the smell of something burning drifting in the air.

She hurried to the kitchen, under the false impression that maybe Lucky had returned and accidentally set the lodge on fire. But it was only Kalluto and Zushi, working together on pancakes at five in the morning. Gon was on the side, hastily opening the windows to try and do something about the smoke.

She rubbed at her eyes and did her best not to inhale it. "What happened?"

Zushi held the fiery frying pan in confusion as flames and smoke emerged from it. Kalluto dumped a carton of milk on the pan, and the fire was extinguished. "If you don't know how to cook," he swiped the handle from his friend's irresponsible hands, "don't lie about it."

Footsteps came quickly down the hall and Machi burst into the room with her hair hanging loose. "I smelled smoke. Is Lucky...?" She stopped abruptly at the sight. Her look scanned the room quickly, and dimmed when she realized Lucky was still missing. She made no noise as she sat down and started to brush out her hair, silently bringing it to a messy ponytail at the top.

Breakfast was later eaten in an air of dread, concerned about Lucky's disappearance. When Zushi had gone missing, it was only a chance that the organization had been behind it. (Phinks had told them later of his reasons for running away, and things had been tense, but they'd been able to put that aside.) But Lucky was their sole target. If he died, they could get their two jewels and get any wish they wanted. It seemed impossible to think that he was snuggled up safe somewhere when he wasn't even picking up his calls.

As breakfast finished, they all thought of what to do. They had no idea where Lucky had been taken, and whether it was even worth the risk when they didn't know if he was still alive. Machi's phone was placed on the table, on standby just in case, in hopes that he could contact them.

In an unforeseen turn of events, the phone buzzed with Lucky's picture on it. Their looks were bewildered and Rein reached for it, but it was Machi who picked up immediately. "Where _are_ you?" she demanded before putting it on speaker.

 _"I don't know!"_ His voice was hoarse and rushed. In the background, they could hear sounds of rustling and faraway shouts, and a few gunshots. _"I regained consciousness yesterday afternoon and I've been trying to call, but it just wasn't connecting!"_

There was a collective sigh of relief when it seemed Lucky was his normal self. There was no distinct anguish to his words.

"Have they hurt you?" Machi inquired to clarify. "Are you hurt at all?"

 _"Don't worry, you won't have to bandage me up again."_ He suddenly hushed, and stayed that way for the next few minutes. Everyone at the lodge knew to keep quiet—most, anyway. Killua was clasping a hand over Gon's mouth—and waited until he started talking again. _"At least I hope so. I've been running around this mountain since I escaped, but there's only so many hiding places. They might find me soon."_

Machi's face turned into something akin to a frown. "Hide well. Wade through water if they're using dogs, but avoid it if you can. When you were taken, you had bandages in place of a shirt. Don't hide in a river and get hypothermia."

 _"At ease, my lady,"_ Lucky said like it was nothing. _"I, a mere peasant, am an expert in being lowly both like dirt and with dirt, and in dirt I shall lie if it means my life. All to see m'la-"_

Rein cleared her throat and raised her hand. She knew Lucky couldn't see her, but it felt appropriate when sticking her nose in whatever this was. "So you'll be fine?" she asked loudly.

A pause, and a breath in. _"Pinky, am I on speaker?"_

Machi was hanging her head at what he'd just said, pinching the bridge of her nose with both hands. "Yes," she said, the sound sharp. "This entire time."

 _"O-oh."_ He started to speak hurriedly. _"For the record, the peasant and m'lady thing was a reference to something that happened in Aiai, which I guess doesn't really help my case, but it was an inside joke thing, I swear! ...Emo Loser isn't there, is he? Could you not tell him about this-"_

"Who's a loser," Feitan growled audibly.

 _"Oh no. I swear, I'm not hitting on...!"_ He sighed, and changed the subject. _"I'm using my Hatsu. I keep opening my list to find things I need to survive. Somehow I managed to jam all their vehicle engines with bits of my jacket hood I tore off, and I have a stick in handy right now. I don't know what to use it for yet but it's probably to knock someone unconscious. But my power is new, and I don't know how long I can keep this up."_

"Any landmarks?" Machi asked, doing her best to recover from the earlier topic.

 _"Forest? Mountain? I was unconscious on the way here, and-"_ A sudden screeching noise came from the phone, and the loud clatter of it hitting the ground after quite a fall. There was a cry from Lucky before it abruptly stopped, and all went quiet.

"Lucky? Lucky!" Everyone started shouting his name, but there was no reply.

Feitan was the first to lean in. "If you listening, I give you permission to use lethal force," was all he said before standing up with a nod to Machi. He went with Phinks to the back, trying to look for a map of the area.

Machi took up her phone and went with them, taking care not to accidentally hang up.

"If only we could track his phone. Machi's keeping the line connected, right?" Killua's fist tightened. Clearly, he also didn't want to let him die. Killing such a human disaster, and one so sweet at that, just seemed wrong. "My older brother is good at these things, but..."

Kalluto finished for him. "Milluki doesn't like us, Killua even less. If we have nothing to offer, he won't do it. Even if he agrees, he's too far away to do anything in time."

"Shalnark could probably do it," Rein said, her hopeful look landing crestfallen when she realized, "But he's not here either. And we have no way to contact him."

Their expressions were grim when Shalnark in question strolled into the room, whistling. He set his large bag onto the floor and leaned back onto the sofa opposite them, and said, "Hi." Their mouths were all agape as they stared at him and his perfect, almost too smug timing.

"W-well," Rein sputtered. "Speak of the Devil."

After overcoming the shock, they explained the dire situation to Shalnark pretty quickly. He shrugged. "My work was done with the Nen remover. Shizuku and Nobu said they'd take care of things and find Danchou as soon as they whip Hisoka into shape. I thought I'd go back to Meteor City for a bit. But it seems," he leaned forward to clasp his hands together, "things aren't going so well here."

"And?" Killua tapped his foot, impatient. "Can you track where his call is coming from or not? I'd hate to think my brother is better than you."

"Don't underestimate me!" Shalnark said, holding a proud fist to his chest. From his bag he drew various devices as the other Spiders came forth with maps, Machi's connected phone, and other necessary items. Locking his fingers, he cracked his knuckles. "I'll have this done quickly."

They waited in relative silence as Shalnark did his work and repeatedly shushed them during it. The moment his face lit up, spontaneous relief filled the air. He waved for a map and a pencil, scribbled a few things down, and gave a contented grin. Shalnark left it in Feitan's hands as he took up his bag once more.

"I'm still going back to Meteor City. I have some business there. But good luck," was the only thing he left as he hefted up his heavy bag and started to leave.

Fei took the map back and began to plot the course and mark spots where they could run into an ambush.

"Oh, also, Rein!" Shalnark called her over from the entrance, and dug his hands into his bag. "I forgot to give you this when we left Greed Island." He handed her the object with a satisfied look.

She took it. "A phone."

"Remember? The one I said would be yours. You really need a way to contact people."

"Okay. Why," asked Rein, and flipped it over to the back, holding it by the tips of her fingers, "does it have a pink sparkly case with rhinestones on it?"

He took it out of her hands and readjusted her hold so she would be holding it firmly. "With your disregard for technology, you probably aren't going to care about your phone even if it's useful. If it's this shiny, you won't forget about it. Do you remember your password? Of course you don't, I'll tell you again."

Despite her protests that she didn't need a phone, which in reality was just a way to cover up the fact that she had absolutely no idea how to use it, Shalnark managed to pound her password into her memory and keep the ridiculously sparkly phone in her hands when he left. She frowned down at the jewel-studded case, too bulky for her tastes. She stuck it in her pocket for now, ignoring it. How could such a thing possibly come in handy?

* * *

Shalnark left them a map leading them to the way there, and the path to get there quickly without detection. They rushed to the destination, all determined to defeat the large organization and bring Lucky back to safety, and for Gon and Killua to find a way to convince Kurapika to stand down.

Machi neverwould have expected for Lucky to already be dead.

It just wasn't a likelihood in her mind. Of course, she knew he was in danger, and against other Nen users, he was only still a baby both in ability and experience. Naturally, Lucky was on the unfortunate side of things, and they had all worried for him because of that. It was a definite possibility that he could be well done in before they arrived, as he was at an obvious disadvantage.

But he was _Lucky_. Lucky, who pulled through no matter what, somehow able to keep his cool by pushing his priorities aside and slowly gaining the hearts of anyone beside him. Lucky, who had managed to survive through so much and still put others' interests before his own. Lucky, who trampled right through his own pain for someone else's sake when no one else would do it for him.

And that side of him, she believed could never be killed.

She _had_ believed so.

Everyone dies. But even when he was brought in as a captive by Feitan, even when she'd removed the arrow from his chest, even when he'd been in critical condition less than a week before, she never would have expected his ending to be like this; blood running out into the dirt, alone.

Machi had a near perfect memory, but even she couldn't completely register when or how she'd killed the man who was trying to take Lucky's jewel away from him. Her Nen strings tightened in her fists as an even bigger group overcame the crest of the hill, coming for the retrieval of his body and surprised when they were faced with an enemy.

She would fight them and she would finish them all, every last one.

Machi shifted her foot to ease into her fighting stance, and was surprised when her leg hit his body. She spared a glance back, and had to bite her lip to keep herself together.

He was still so warm, so very, very warm.

They'd been just minutes too late.

The group tried to deal with the sudden onslaught of enemies making their way towards them, with Nen abilities they weren't familiar with. There came energy blasts and all kinds of manipulated items as they all tried to protect the jewel that Lucky had... _died_ for. Lucky, immortal _Lucky_.

Rein had never been in battle before, never a proper one. Never one that was drawn out and painful, never enemies that actually hit her in multiple places and did the same to her allies. Her heart hurt, but she could ignore it for now.

Because Lucky was alive, right? He couldn't be dead. He was so seemingly invincible against whatever was thrown at him. No, he must have been fine. Machi could fix him, right? He must have been unconscious or sleeping as he so loved to do. Yes. Yes, that was it. And after this was all done, he would pass out on the sofa and blush when he saw the rest of them and Rein made a few teasing points for supposedly hitting on Machi. She'd never seen him blush before. Rein wondered what it would look like, when all this was _over_ and he was _safe_ and they were all _happy_.

An blade nicked her ear as the opponent in front of her advanced with dual swords.

Rein had been separated from the rest of the group at the base of the mountain. She didn't know whether they had also been drawn into one-on-one fights, but if they were, she knew they could be trusted. Her only job was to fight the enemy before her as quickly as possible.

She threw a few of her stones his way, but he simply flicked them away with the edge of his sword as he moved forward. However, the one rock which shone brighter than the others hit the sharp edge right on the spot, just as she wanted. She had to move up a tree and leap to the next one over to avoid being cut, maneuvering through the branches easily almost as if she'd done this before.

Suddenly receiving information, her tired expression grew to a grin. She wiped at her brow as she leapt to the ground to avoid an easy stab, and milled around for the next few moments, conjuring the perfect, jaded piece of flint. The next time she was swiped at, she threw the ball of flint to meet the edge of the steel sword, and transmuted its qualities on impact. Her enemy suddenly became embalmed in flames, and fell off the edge of the cliff trying to deal with them.

Her Hatsu, her Hatsu had worked! Two of her ideas had worked! Getting over her short moment of triumph, she ran hastily back down to where the others were supposed to be. She had to run, go quickly to the rest and help them and bring themselves back safe and-

Her breath caught in her chest painfully at the sight before her, and her eyes peeled open in horror.

"Ph..." she had trouble saying, and her voice went ever so quiet. "...Phinks?"

His body was propped up against the tree, a large spike protruding from his middle. His blond hair, normally perfectly swept back and set, was hanging down in loose strands she'd never seen before. Phinks was usually both firm in his stance and expression with a power that never left him even in his sleep, but right now he seemed so incredibly limp. Doll-like, almost as if...

(But that couldn't be the case. Phinks was strong and stubborn. _He_ couldn't possibly...)

She was afraid to register the rest of it. Slowly, Rein reached out her hand, and snatched it back as soon as it brushed against his cooled skin. Her entire hand trembled as she brought it back to her face and saw that it was covered in blood.

No.

She grabbed Phinks by the shoulders and started to shake him.

"Ph-Phinks, look up. Look up."

No, please, this couldn't be happening!

His head lolled to the side, and she could only take a panicked step back as the rest of him crashed into the ground, a small, red handprint left on his tracksuit.

Rein took a numb stagger and backed way from the body, eyes wide and her hand still covered in his blood. No. Stiff, she shook her head ever so slightly. Oh stars, no, _please_. Not again. With a sudden gasp that hurt her throat, she pulled away from him and rushed to where the others were supposed to be. She barged through, thorns tearing at her skin as she could think of nothing but making it, making it and wishing for them all to be safe.

There's something different about seeing a loved one dead, and watching one die right before your eyes, and that difference carved itself into her skin once more.

A hail of bullets from somewhere far way shot through Zushi, and even Zepile as he slouched over him in an attempt to protect him. She had no idea why he was here, but man who said he would stay behind had come all this way just to be met like this.

Her eyes were burning through with fire, the sensation searing a horrid sight into her skull.

 _No_ , she wanted to beg, but her lips stayed frozen.

Unable to breathe, her view finally started to take in the rest of it, and what she saw ripped through her and twisted her insides in a way she never imagined would ever happen. The blood on her hand dripped to the ground as she could only stand there in petrified horror.

_Anything but this, please,_ _ please _ _._

Lucky already dead, Machi's hands rendered useless on the ground next to him. Two others far from saving. Feitan was alive, but she'd never seen him in such bad condition before, staggering and spitting blood as he sometimes called out to Phinks for backup and forgot he wasn't there to support him anymore. And the others, _stars_ , they were nowhere in sight.

There were only a few lingering enemies and one of them caught sight of her, and they pulled out a switchblade as they approached. The blade came closer to her as they lunged, but she stood there numbly as it all came by in slow motion.

Just like before, she'd been helpless to do anything.

The blade thrusted forward.

She was... she was only a Conjurer.

It cut through the cloth of her shirt.

She hadn't been able to do anything, and she still couldn't. _Stars,_ she _couldn't_ , and they were all...!

Reality catching up with her, the man's knife finally scratched her skin as she collapsed to the ground and gave a guttural cry before the world went black.

* * *

...

_Rewind?_

_..._

* * *

Rein woke up with a start, the smell of something burning drifting in the air.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think this chapter's title explained things pretty simply.
> 
> Not too proud of the flow of things and how it was written but we'll be coming back to it a lot so I thought a more dream-like take to the events would be better.


	61. Second Chance

Tears streamed down her face as she gripped her blanket.

She turned her head. The room at the lodge was so sunlit she almost forgot everything that had just happened. But there was the nick on her ear, the feeling of Phinks' limp body still on her palms. The painful reality was that it had happened, something she foolishly believed never would.

She forced herself to stand, and willed her tired hand to drop lifelessly onto the handle. Take your time but don't isolate yourself, that was what Lucky would probably tell her. She didn't know how she'd gotten back here, but she sincerely hoped there was someone left after all that. Because driving away isolation without anyone else around; that was kind of impossible, wasn't it? She started to sway, and gripped the door frame tightly with her other hand to steady herself.

Oh stars, she was about to break down all over again.

She clamped down on her tongue. Rein opened the door just in time to see a figure rush past, her pink hair in a knotted bird's nest. "I..." Rein could see her back rise in a slightly heavier breath, "...smelled smoke. Is Lucky...?"

Rein tried to keep her voice from quivering. "Machi?" She took a tentative step from her room for a closer look. "You're so... your hands. Weren't they broken?" Broken and mangled and bruised and _useless_ -

Machi straightened, surprised to see her there behind her. She cleared her throat and brought her composure back to normal. "No," she said simply, "I haven't injured my hands in years." She brought up her eyes and was suddenly taken back. "Rein, what happened to you? You look like you've been in a fight."

Rein couldn't answer her as Machi ran her eyes over her torn clothes and various injuries. Her blue eyes stalled on her bloodied hand, but all Rein had to do was loosely shake her head to let her know she was fine, that it was foreign blood.

"Sit," Machi said, and had to take her wrist to guide her to the sofa area.

The anomalies were stacking up in Rein's head, but she still tried to give a weak argument. After everything that happened, they couldn't afford to sit around and tend to minor injuries. But those words fell limp on her tongue when she was pulled near the kitchen and found the exact same sight from that morning.

Kalluto and Zushi standing with a smoldering pan, now drenched in milk. Gon heading around the vast room, trying to open up all the windows to get fresh air flowing in. Her gazes slowly met each of theirs, the relief of seeing them alive almost blinding her and bringing her to her knees.

"Rein, you okay?" Kalluto asked hesitantly.

"W-what?"

"There's blood running down your face," Gon pointed out, concerned.

Her hands flew to the area and came back sticky. Now thinking, blood had been trickling through the crevices in her ear and down the side of her face for a while now. She'd never had the time to take it all in.

Rein was still deprived of feeling as Machi forced her to sit and brushed her hair out of the way to inspect the gash on her ear. She pulled out ointment and a simple bandage, and held it between her lips while she cleaned it.

"You..." Her head was spinning, and she didn't know what to say. "...have a lot more supplies now. You didn't carry stuff like the little sticking band-aids before."

Machi only shrugged. Finished with her cleaning, she unpeeled the packaging of the plaster. "Lucky uses them a lot because he's always getting hurt. I usually end up taking care of his wounds." She adhered it to Rein's injury, wiped the rest of the blood off her face, and pulled back. "It's easier if I have them ready."

Lucky. They'd been too late. "You won't," her breath was painful, "need them anymore, I guess. Since he's not..."

Machi blinked, unable to figure out what she was talking about. "You're not one to talk negatively," were the words she finally settled on. "Did you go somewhere during the night? Or find yourself sleepwalking?"

A sudden possibility occurred to Rein, but she didn't dare think any more of it until she was absolutely sure. She'd hate to get her hopes up and have it shatter to pieces, but she just _had_ to be right. Fumbling with her pockets, she pulled out the flashy, sparkly, pink phone that Shalnark had given to her. She turned it on, and fell back into the chair. The phone dropped to the ground as she held a hand to her face just to keep from crying.

It was the same day, the same morning again. She had another chance to save them all.

But how? Time turned back its black hands for her, but how? Rein hadn't done anything special, but it must have been her. She was the only one who had the phone she wasn't supposed to have yet, the injuries that came from something in the future, and the horrible, horrible memories she never wanted to experience again.

It came to her in an epiphany what Lucky had said; Specialist abilities could work with time.

The smell of burnt pancakes still lingered as none of them asked her what was going on, or where she'd sustained such injuries. They would ask, but her eyes were red and black and exhausted; they could wait.

"Alright, who's the arsonist?" The owner of the gruff tone came heavily down the hall, drying his damp hair with a towel around his broad shoulders. Never had he ever looked so wonderfully present and intact.

Rein's breath hitched, and joyous tears almost sprung to her vision. "Ph-Phinks!"

"Yeah?" He yawned and scratched at his head, his blond hair still neatly pulled back despite just having emerged from the shower. Phinks cracked an eye open. "What do you wa- _woah!"_

She stumbled forward and wrapped her arms around his middle before he could react, hugging him tightly. "You're okay," she breathed slowly. "You're okay."

He peered down with something akin to suspicion, and let the towel drop from his shoulders as he tried to pry her off gently. "Yeah," he repeated. "Are _you_ okay?"

"Just... a bad dream."

"Okay," he said, still questioning her unrelenting hold. "Is this going to become a habit?"

"No," said Rein, and quieted before hugging him tighter. "No."

* * *

It wasn't just a bad dream, no matter how numbly she was stumbling through all this. Nightmares did not bleed.

As she ate breakfast for the second time, she desperately tried to remember where the mountain they'd fought on was, but she couldn't. The trek had been hours long, and the details fuzzy. She'd been so focused, so worried she would be too late to say goodbye. (And she had been. She'd been too late to help him, the one person who'd made her feel better. Too late to help everyone else too... stars.)

It meant even though she had another chance, she would only have the same time frame to accomplish it. She couldn't go early. If she didn't know the way there, she couldn't do anything, and Shalnark wasn't due to come until later. Even if she or another of the Spiders was able to call him, she doubted whether he would hurry himself no matter how much she screamed at him to do so. He went his own pace.

There was so much she couldn't do. In comparison, what _could_ she do? If this was truly her Specialist ability, she had absolutely no idea how she was controlling it, and no clue as to whether this was truly a retry at the events or if the day had been copied and pasted. There were endless possibilities, and none of them made any sense. She was used to time moving forward, not resetting. In this circumstance, what were her options?

The enemy numbers had been too many, after too great a loss on their part. Even the experienced Spiders hadn't been able to come back unscathed as they usually did. Her eyesight started to swim, and she had to shake her head to get rid of it. This time around, she would have to keep it from happening, no matter what.

Even through Rein was expecting the call from Lucky, and even though she'd been standing by bouncing her knees anxiously to pick up the call as fast as possible, when it rang it was Machi who reached it first.

"Where _are_ you?" she demanded before putting it on speaker.

_"I don't know!"_

While Lucky was speaking about how he'd escaped and how much longer he could keep it up, Rein raced around the lodge gathering local geography books and maps of the area that had been used before to mark the fastest route. She cleared the table of everything else, snatching Killua's plate out of his hands before he could protest and doing the same to the others. The table needed room for Shalnark's call-tracking equipment later, so she would set everything she could now.

She panted lightly, vigorously searching for any point she'd missed before allowing herself to sit back down and listen to the call. Stars, just hearing his voice, alive, was a sweet feeling. It was meaningless, though. Every second wasted was one step closer to the life or death situation Rein would have to adjust.

"Hide well," Machi was saying, her tone firm. "Wade through water if they're using dogs, but avoid it if you can. When you were taken, you had bandages in place of a shirt. Don't hide in a river and get hypothermia."

_"At ease, my-"_

"Yes, yes, you're a peasant and Machi is your girlfriend or something," Rein rushed, hurrying to set aside the casual conversation. She peered out the windows, urging Shalnark to arrive faster.

There was a pause, not unlike the one from before. Lucky spoke slowly. _"Wh_ _y am I on speaker, and where_ _did you hear that?"_

Rein had already raced out, blindly shouting for Shalnark to hurry up. Her actions were driven in a numb craze, determined in its goal but not thought out. It was something riding on her emotions only, and one could not press her about it. After all, she'd gone through so much. Yet to the eyes of the others, Rein was running about like a lunatic for reasons unknown, shouting for someone who was not there—as far as they knew, that is.

"She's not here anymore," Machi informed him.

 _"_ _Where did she hear that?"_ One could swore he'd sputtered. " _Was she spying during Aiai?"_

"Why. What happen in Aiai," Feitan asked, tone flat.

 _"Oh no, it's you."_ Lucky sounded genuine. _"It was just a reference to a certain... I'm not hitting on her, I swear, if anything, Red was the one who did it indirectly so if you're going to get mad, go to her and not me."_

Feitan was unamused. "Why get mad?"

There was yet another quiet. _"So hypothetically speaking, you're okay with relationships while training?"_

A scowl, as if he didn't know what else to do. "I didn't say-"

"Landmarks?" Machi butted in to get them off the topic, her voice raised a notch. "Are there landmarks where you are?"

The rustle of fabric, like he was shrugging. _"Mountain? Forest? There's a tree-"_ A sudden shout came from him, and the sound of crashing through wood and the phone evidently getting knocked about came deafening through the speaker before it rolled to a standstill. It was far too quiet for them to be at ease. Before, they'd been able to hear Lucky's shallow breaths, and Machi could even pick out his heartbeats with her keen hearing. Now, there was nothing, no sign of life.

They called for his name, but there was no response.

Machi grit her teeth at the silence the phone returned to her. Lucky was one to pull through. Because while he claimed his aura hated his guts, she had thought otherwise. It had never shown much ill intent towards him, just the circumstances around him. If any amateur could cling onto life until help arrived, she honestly thought it would be him with no bias.

Rein had already brought out the maps, so with nothing to do, they sat there.

The entrance to the lodge slammed open, shaking the thick walls as Rein dashed inside, pulling a disheveled Shalnark behind her. Her breath short, she pushed him onto the sofa and tore his bag off his person, setting it on the table and telling him to do his job.

"Wait, stop, hold on," Shalnark tried to interrupt. He rubbed at his wrist, reddening intents making themselves evident on his skin where Rein had gripped him too violently.

"Track Lucky's phone, now," she rushed. "The line is connected, just find where the call is coming from!"

"Whoa," he said, holding his hands out between Rein and himself. "There's no need to shout, just slow down and explain."

 _"Hurry!"_ she screamed, voice hoarse. Rein bent over and allowed herself to gulp in a breath, her hair swinging limply over her face. " _Stars_ , Shalnark. Please, we don't have _time."_ She hit the arm of the sofa with a tightened fist, paling _. "Please,_ or Lucky... and even _Phinks,_ they'll... they'll-!" Her strength slowly left her as her legs gave in, dropping her slack figure to the ground. Rein brought her hands to her face, and they trembled. There was a dried bloodstain on the back of her hands, newly cracking as she sat there and begged. A whisper, "I can't do this again."

Without a word, Shalnark complied and took his bag. "Does his life depend on it?"

The girl unresponsive, Machi answered for her. "Time is of the essence."

Pulling out his equipment, he gave a silent nod and got to work.

* * *

Rein was looking extraordinarily pale, all warm colors drained from her face and leaving her with an icy exterior. Still, she picked herself up and followed the rest of them with eyes devoid of expression— _"I'm fine,"_ she'd snapped, her gaze nowhere but ahead as she forced them to move through the brush to where Lucky was as quickly as possible. _"Just keep running."_ —and headed their group, keeping a tight hold on Phinks' sleeve the entire time, her grip turning iron when he tried to remove it.

"Come on," she urged, lips chapped and dry. "We're almost there."

A delighted relief came to her when they came across a clearing, and Lucky stumbled into it. She could see his chest heaving as he whipped back, eyes peeled open in fear at his pursuer. He started to take another bound when his eyes caught on them, stepping back in alarm before recognizing their faces.

Her gait doubled as she raced on ahead, pushing aside branches and thorns that scraped exposed skin. He was so close. At this rate they would get there in under a minute-

Gunshots came, and blood splurted forward with it.

She seized up.

Even more rang through the air, causing small yelps and groans with each and every one before one got Lucky straight through the heart. Yet still more came, piercing through his chest and skull just to confirm his death.

Nothing had changed.

Rein hadn't noticed her grip on Phinks had loosened until his receding back was ahead of her, charging forward and finishing off Lucky's attacker. With his determined and challenging expression twisted into a grimacing sneer, he disappeared from her vision.

Dual curses came from Feitan and Machi as they surged on ahead as well, and one by one, they all left her. She reached out in a dazed manner as her eyesight failed her and shook, blurring their figures.

Her pupils contracted when she felt a breath of air behind her. Her reflexes felt as strong as ever and her legs pushed her away from her position just as two swords came down. They would have impaled her had she not escaped.

"You again," were her first words.

A long blade ignored her and sliced, leaving a long gash up her skirt.

Her emotions suddenly catching up to her, Rein was embalmed in a fueled rage as she clamped down her teeth at the sting it left and retreated for higher ground, where she could take him on. She enhanced her En by only an arm's width, saving her energy for the concentration on conjuring the flint she needed. She only dodged as soon as she felt a sword pierce her En circle, trying not to break the steady flow of Nen to her hands.

Flint and steel would make a spark, and she could send him up in flames like last time.

As soon as she'd made a large enough piece, she flipped around and flung it his way. The two materials clashed perfectly and she ignited the flame, darting past him and back towards the clearing where the others were. She could not waste time here, not here.

Her tattered skirt tripped her up, tangling weighted cloth amid her knees hitting them and causing her, at the absolute worst of times, to fall.

Biting back her cries, she tumbled down the hillside, thrown against sharp rocks and tearing branches. She tried to open her eyes to see anyone, but with a splitting snap in her skull, her vision rolled useless as she came to a rest at the boulder near the foot of the hill.

* * *

When Rein finally awoke, the first thing she saw was a hand, unusually still with blood wiped away in the grass below it.

She scrambled back and felt the light leave her very soul. _No._ She reached out once more, towards Phinks' face with his eyes just barely open, a strange sort of nostalgic on such a man. His skin was cold.

A sudden pain pounded at the sides on her head, and she gripped at her hair in a grimace. She willed her legs to move, though her vision became clouded with black swirls as soon as she stood up. She pushed through, staggering forward with a hand on the neighboring trees for support. His body had been so much more frigid than last time. It meant more time had passed, and that in turn meant... She didn't want to think. Don't think.

Finally, she arrived at the clearing. The view was too horrifying to take in, but her eyes went wide and unblinking as the details flooded her brain and etched themselves into her memory forever. It hurt, stars, it hurt.

Everything—the body count, the injuries inflicted, the figures of those still somehow pushing through their pain and lurching forward like a rag doll—was so much _worse_.

It came again, the thoughts hammering into her skull over and over with deafening blows. She couldn't hold back a cry as the overhanging pain thrusted itself through her brain, as if someone was taking a nail and trying to split her right open. The back of her throat became gargled as her shins hit the ground. 

Her second chance to try to save them and she'd _failed._

* * *  
  


Rein woke up with a start, the smell of something burning drifting in the air.


	62. A Closer Look

Chuckling dryly, Rein lay back down on her bed with a hand to her forehead.

This was her life now.

Somehow, seeing the entire thing twice brought her a morbid sort of peace. Not a tranquility, just... nothing. Instead of that sick to her stomach feeling she'd come to dread, there was only a slow aching in her chest, eating away at the layers of her heart with a burning acid while she sat back and couldn't do anything to ease that pain.

Only her second time and she was already exhausted. Rein lifted her fingers to her ear. The bandage from Machi was there, meaning that while the day reset, she did not. Her memories stayed intact, as did every injury she acquired.

The padding of feet came down the hall as the scent of smoke started to dissipate.

Rein sunk into the blankets for just a tad bit longer. So her Specialist ability created a loop in time, one that was probably activated when her eyes turned scarlet. It brought a relief to her, knowing that if she failed, she could always try her hand at it again. At the thought, she scorned herself. What was with her carefree attitude, as if their lives didn't matter? As long as she could try again, was she fine with letting them go through that? Some savior she would make.

The clock ticked forward, and Rein brought herself upright, going to head out to start the day all over again.

The kitchen floor was already covered in milk, and Machi's bedhead was already pulled into a ponytail. When she entered, all their eyes drew to her, unable to hide their surprise.

"What..." Gon dropped the curtain he'd been pulling open, "... _happened_ to you?"

"I'm fine," she mumbled. "Just a bad night. Bad dream." She knew everything had happened, but she couldn't bring herself to say it out loud. She knew she was just making excuses. She knew that logically, she should tell them. But she didn't want to, didn't want to make things any further of a reality. She should tell them, she should, then maybe they could be spared with warning. But she was afraid, and her tongue swelled, and she could only mutter, "I'm fine."

Even if she notified them on what she knew would happen, what good would it do? She could tell Machi to take care of her hands because at some point, somehow, they would be useless and she wouldn't be able to use her Nen. She could warn Lucky that he would be shot. She could inform Phinks that he would die too. Then what? Would it change anything? Would just the information somehow magically keep it from happening?

Machi's brows were raised. "You three clean up the mess," she ordered, shooing them around the corner and into the kitchen, leaving Rein out of their line of sight. She turned back to the girl with a pursed frown.

Killua walked in with a yawn, his eyes pausing on Rein before casting his gaze casually off to the side and sitting down.

With no leverage to send the boy away with, Machi simply ignored him and brought her attention to Rein for an evaluation. She sat her down and brought antiseptic. With a damp cotton, she started to dab at Rein's scratched arms, face, and her bleeding head, an unsightly bruise forming on it.

As soon as Rein remembered her tumble down the rocky hillside, her head started to hurt, and she winced. As soon as she'd set out early to go save Phinks at least, the fall had knocked her unconscious. Was it just misfortune, or would time only set everything to the way it was? She didn't want to imagine a world where she would never be able to change the future no matter how she tried.

"So," Killua said with his hands behind his head, his look sliding over to her. "Care to explain?"

She didn't answer, only clenching her teeth when the disinfectant stung.

"Good grief," he sighed, and sat himself up straight. "Oi," he told Machi. "There's a wound on her leg too."

Rein hadn't noticed the blood trickling down the side of her leg until now. She suddenly recalled a sword slicing her skirt and grazing the skin underneath.

Her red flannel skirt had become dark with the soil of the forest, ash from the fires she'd lit, and all the blood she'd reached out for. And as Killua pointed out his observations, Machi could finally see the bad condition her clothes were in. "Your skirt is in tatters," she said, picking up a piece of the fabric barely hanging on to the rest of it, worn down even more by the soot and dirt. "You need to get this off your wound."

Rein complied and started to pull off her skirt, disregarding the hiss it had on her deep scrape.

"W- _woah."_ Killua stood abruptly, giving her an insane look before turning on his heel. "Not here, you moron!"

"Shorts." Rein gestured down at herself. "Look closer. I have shorts."

With a peek back, he did just that. "You know," he said, adjusting himself, "people aren't going to have the best impressions of you if you suddenly take off articles of clothing in front of them."

She shrugged, and sat back down to let Machi disinfect the wound on her thigh, letting him know she could care less and that he should too.

"Alright, who's the arsonist," Phinks grumbled, his sense of smell still keen even from the shower. He stepped into the area, rubbing the water off the base of his skull. Phinks halted at the sight of Rein, taking in the dark bags under puffy eyes, chalked cheeks, the blood and grime on her body and her torn clothes. The muscles in his jaw became offset as he ever so slightly tilted his head. He couldn't hold back the simple observation of, "Rein, you look terrible."

She evidently agreed because Rein announced, "I'm going to take a shower."

Her clothes shifted when she started to walk, and Machi held her back. "There's a tear in your shirt too."

That had happened the first time around, hadn't it?

The woman sighed, and brought Rein's skirt with her. "I'll fix them both while you're in there."

* * *

When your joints are cold, a hot shower melts all those away with a tingling feel, and Rein found this comforting as she simply stood and let the water hit her back.

Though the minutes had seemed to pass quickly, Rein knew there were more than four hours from the time she woke up to when they left to where Lucky was. But the trek there, no matter how rushed she'd tried to make it, had stretched out over another full hour. For such a long time, she couldn't possibly remember all the twists and turns they'd taken. Even if she forced them all to leave around five when she woke up, meandering for the right path wouldn't do any good.

She needed the map. She would need to know how to read it, memorize every obstacle, and get there as soon as possible to find Lucky before his attackers did. Then maybe, she could avoid cruel fate.

Rein had to act efficiently. To turn things in her favor, she couldn't waste time just like last time where she'd been frantically running around while waiting for Shalnark to show up. (Her rationality almost scared her now. Why so level-headed? Had she numbed that quickly?) Even a single second could not go to waste.

But to do that she had to prepare, and bring both herself and her Nen ability even stronger. Not her Specialist one, though she prayed it would hold up. Her Conjurer ability was the one she needed to work on. It took too long to conjure a certain type of stone she needed because this power was new and rough, nothing like the smooth and sanded masterpieces the other Spiders held.

She had one set stone, where if someone's Nen interacted with it, she would know their Nen ability. For other stones, she had to choose on her own from whatever traits they held. For example, flint could make a spark, which explained how she could set fires. Labradorite could reflect light and if honed, she could potentially blind her enemy. Hackmanite could... the possibilities were endless, but that wasn't the point. The important part was that a weak sapling ability wouldn't help. She had to get stronger.

And she needed time for that, time she...

(Had? Didn't have? She wasn't too sure of the answer and didn't want to know.)

The question came suddenly from the other side of the door. "What is this?"

Rein faltered for a bit, wondering what Machi could be asking about. "Oh, the phone? I got it from Shalnark. Looks ridiculous, doesn't it?"

"That could be an understatement." A pause as Machi examined it. "Rhinestones?"

"Shal said making it unbelievably sparkly will help me remember I own a phone or something like that."

"Though we both know this will do nothing to help the fact that you still don't know how to use technolo-" A loud yelp and crash echoed down the hall, and Rein could make out the swift rustle of fabric indicating Machi had stood quickly. "Luck...!" The sounds of Killua loudly crying over spilt milk and the laughed apology from Gon and Zushi soon filled the air afterwards, harmless banter and chatter. Machi quieted, and the thump of her back hitting the bathroom door echoed as Rein turned off the shower tap.

"He's not here," she stated.

"I know," said Machi, holding back a 'but'. "I know."

Rein started to dry her hair with the towel. "Are you worried?" There was every right to be. She knew better than anyone how fragile a person really was.

"No." A pause. "Yes. I don't... know." Machi wasn't usually eloquent. If anything, she was a woman of little words. But in those little words of hers, she didn't like to be contradictory, redundant, or useless. Every phrase would hold its different meaning to get her straightforward point across, and she was used to this kind of speech, the speech that let nothing go unseen or overlooked, yet now, her words held nothing of value. "I'm not sure."

Rein nodded absently, though she couldn't see her on the other side of the door.

"He's," Machi finally started, "like a baby. Like a helpless, destructive baby I should take care of. Yet somehow he's fine on his own. He's survived well." There was a shallow exhale. "But the circumstances are different now. I don't... know. I'm not sure."

Her uncharacteristic redundancy reached Rein as well. Rein cast the damp towel over her shoulders as memories from the past days—or today and its previous retry—came back to her. "Do you like Lucky?"

"Of course," she replied, though her words flew quick. "He was accepted by Chrollo, and tries to train hard under Feitan despite his unruly Nen. He's admirable."

She paused in drying herself off, and asked, "Is that all?"

"Do you like Lucky?" Machi returned.

Rein almost felt the corner of her eye raise at whatever ploy the woman thought she was pulling. "Yeah," she replied, trying to keep the doubt out of her voice.

"Exactly. Everyone likes him," said Machi. "It's understandable. He's the likable sort, I suppose. He may have rubbed people the wrong way with his aura at first, but he makes up for it in varying ways. After Pakunoda's death, he helped you. Despite being in his own difficult situation, he still decided to aid you. It's..." She repeated her words from not a minute before, but this time they carried a slightly different air: "He's admirable."

Rein cracked open the door. "Can I get my clothes?"

Machi realized her hands had stalled in their work. She quickly wrapped up the job on the spot and slipped Rein her mended outfit.

As she changed back into her newly fixed shirt and skirt, the tears and gashes from before impossible to detect, she thought about many things. Not words, exactly, that was almost too much for her fatigued mind. But ideas, such as the one of Machi with someone, in _that_ way Rein didn't have much experience with. No one in the Troupe talked much of such things; feelings. And less had much knowledge of it, as far as she knew.

There were still stinging scratches on her body, but the aching under her eyes had ceased when Rein stepped out of the bathroom, a towel still over her shoulders to keep her hair from dripping further.

When she tried to walk down the hall, she collided into the woman who had just been standing there idly. Rein cradled her nose. "Machi?"

"I seem," she said, a tentative hand at her forehead, "to be a bit feverish." Indeed, she seemed to be—Her face was softly aglow with the same shade as her hair. Machi moved her hand to her chest, over her heart. "My organs also feel strange. But I'll still go on the mission. I haven't gotten sick in years, so it's most likely just a common cold."

With the bleariness gone from her eyes, Rein could finally see a bracelet on Machi's wrist. She quickly realized it was the one she'd asked Lucky to make with the woman, to help her feel better like he had helped herself. A bracelet of colored strings and loose ends that dangled freely, and Machi's eyes seemed to be fixed on it as she contemplated whatever illness she had.

Despite being much younger, Rein had an inkling of what those symptoms meant, and she almost wanted to break it to her already.

* * *

In the hours before breakfast for the third time, Rein studied. Pulling out books at the lodge and testing around on her phone, she'd been able to find various articles and pages upon pages of tedious writing, all on the makeup and atom anatomy of rocks.

To improve her Conjurer ability, she had to be able to conjure whatever type of rock she needed quickly, and branch out on types.

Shalnark was right. Making her phone so visually obnoxious had actually gotten her to look at and use it. She still needed some help, but she was improving. She'd been able to remember her password, and could open search engines with minimal help from Phinks.

She still couldn't quite wrap her head around it. It wasn't a dream or hallucination. Phinks was indeed there, grabbing the phone out of her hands and telling her which button to push, and messing up her hair after he'd done so. He was present and there.

Rein continued to study, flipping through pages as the sizzling of a pan filled the air.

It wasn't until Zepile sat down opposite of her that she began to take notice of her surroundings. The auctioneer had been so quiet until now, and after the hit on her head she'd nearly forgotten that she saw he and Zushi die together, he in a futile position to protect the boy from getting shot at from all sides with someone's Nen. Pain spiked through her skull, and for a guilt-strickening moment, she wished she hadn't recalled it at all.

"Zepile," she mumbled, her voice suddenly quiet. "Don't... don't follow after us."

It wasn't until he spoke up that Rein noticed he'd sat down right next to Zushi. "Hey, kid." He hadn't heard her at all.

"Yes?"

"Did," his tone was reluctant, "Phinks tell you about you and... me?"

Zushi gave a slight nod. "Yes."

All attempts at conversation ended there. The man looked away and so did the boy, unsure as to how they could possibly continue. Rein had heard about their relationship on the day Lucky went missing; Father and son. But for the moment, in all their worry, it seemed they both couldn't quite deal with the information.

On the side sat Phinks with his arm arrogantly over the sofa, looking at the two with his knee bouncing impatiently. Still, nothing more was spoken.

They ate breakfast (Rein had to admit she was getting tired of redo pancakes) in the heavy silence as Rein flicked through pages upon pages of the quartz content of granite. Though her clothes were restored to their former feel, there was no mistaking the new scars on her skin, and the bandaging here and there. They all eyed her with curiosity and suspicion as she read through swaths of information and waited for the call.

Machi's phone rang, and the woman was once again the first to pick up. "Where _are_ you?" she demanded, and put it on speaker. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Q: Why did you decide to make Lucky and Machi a thing?  
> A: *straightens tie* it was through a careful consideration of both their character traits and comparing the dynamics and compatibility of-  
> Q: It was because their ship name would be 'Mucky', wasn't it?  
> A: shut up.


	63. A Hundred Times Over

"And that's all!" Shalnark summarized, finishing up with marking the map of the quickest route there. "There are a lot of things left unaccounted for in the forest on the way there, but this is roughly the best path, just judging from the sources we have."

"Thanks, Shal." Rein slipped out her phone and quickly snapped a photo of the completed map. She'd figured out how to access her camera, as it was essential just in case they lost the map and she would have to start back at square one. Then during her retries she could have the map in advance, and they would have the upper hand. She had it all planned out, and she would succeed in the end, she would, she _promised_ she would.

"Wait, that's..." Shalnark's eyes widened at the sight of the jewel-studded case and checked the inside of his bag. "That's weird, I thought I put it in here-"

"Already took it," she said, and lightly waved it about in all its sparkling glory. "It's mine, right?"

"Yup," he replied, and finally looked her up and down. She was clean and her hair was still lightly damp from a shower, but all that did was put her injuries out in the open, fresh scratches and scrapes bare. Though she seemed to be acting her normal self in speech, there was nothing behind her eyes. "Have you been... alright, lately?"

It took her moments too long to respond. She pursed her lips and nodded.

Shal's head tipped to the side, questioning.

"Look, Shal." It was only a small attempt to draw the conversation elsewhere, but she showed him the photo she'd just taken. "I can use tech."

"I guess the sparkly case worked in piquing your interest?"

She shrugged.

He reached out and ruffled her hair, pushing down and tangling it all up. It was peculiar when she did nothing in retaliation. Still, he had to leave for Meteor City. He had business there, and the path he would take wouldn't be pleasant in fading light. Shalnark would leave no matter what, and though her behavior was odd, he didn't believe it was anything to fret over.

Rein's feelings were surprisingly similar.

When his features expressed both surprise and a bit of pride, Rein found it in herself to lighten up. Not a smile—she wasn't nearly as close to happiness—but something that almost made her forget just how dire of a situation she was in. There was a normalcy about her that should've scared her, but it didn't. The feeling carried her away on wings of deluded drunkenness, a flight that would soon send her crashing back to reality.

* * *

Her heartbeat started to race as they edged closer to where the map had indicated Lucky would be.

She'd come this same route before, but it was only when she drew closer to the site of blood and sorrow that the scenery came back to her. Peculiar red moss hanging from that tree there, and a clump of grass there, a narrow walkway here; She was starting to remember, and though it hurt, though she'd told herself over and over she couldn't possibly do anything this round, Rein found her legs pumping faster in a blind hope.

Rein crashed headfirst into a slim figure. Her gaze snapped up, eyes wide, but she didn't dare react until she dropped to the ground and made sure he had too. When it was silent for a few seconds, a sudden thrill rushed through her as she said, "Lucky."

Lucky, lying face down on the dirt next to her, tilted his head. He was bleeding from a cut on his cheek, and his jacket was dirtied and limp, but he managed to pull a smile like he always did as he responded, "Hey, Red."

She helped him up as the others came rushing to them almost unable to believe it. Had she really gotten here on time? There were no gunshots ringing through the air, and that blissful lack of noise lulled her into unrealistic hopes.

Feitan was the first to catch up to them, and snatching quick glances off to the side to confirm the enemy wasn't lurking nearby, he quickly grabbed them both by the scruffs of their collars and brought them up into a crouch as he bent down too. With a simple motion, he ordered the others coming up behind them to do the same, and with looks he sent them off to the sides in groups to scout.

"Enemies," he hissed. "List."

"A lot," escaped his lips. "Crap, so many. I don't know how many Nen users his organization has employed, but-"

A crack shot through the air, and a sudden spike of white blinded Rein for a brief second.

She feared the worst, crying out their names before the white was blown away. Feitan was now ahead of them, on his knees with his hands out and holding a concentrated burst of aura in his hands. As the light faded away, a bullet dropped to the ground. He scoffed. Feitan stood with his eyes to where the bullet had come from before he disappeared, and a sudden gargled scream sounded farther down the path.

Life returned to her in a relieved blow as she finally allowed herself to breathe. Her vision shook, trying to straighten as it landed on the bullet Feitan had stopped. She grasped it and scrambled back to the bush, back to cover, and drew a deep breath. It took Rein a full minute, but when she'd opened her eyes, there on her hands lay a woven sling.

"What's that?" Lucky asked.

"A sling." Finally finished, she scrabbled to her next task. "I can shoot my rocks farther and with more power without wasting as much energy." Rein clutched the bullet tightly with both hands, aura thrumming into it as she tried to shape it perfectly.

He picked up the sling beside her with a hesitance. It looked familiar. "Isn't this the bracelet you made?"

Already short of breath, she nodded. She tried to expand her energy, just to complete building on the bullet to make it into a heavy lead clump. "It's easier to conjure something I'm close to. I remember the bracelet really well, so if I widen a section, I can use it as a sling." In a sudden burst, Rein's bullet had shaped into something as if it were a washed pebble by the sea. Making copies of something she'd already conjured came as procedure, so it was easier. Though her Nen was tiring, she was able to have a dozen more projectiles by her side.

Lucky sat with a swelling hand to his ribs, trying to keep from wincing when he breathed.

It hadn't occurred to her that he could've been hurt internally. Pushing everything but her sling and one bullet stone into her pockets, she hastily gave instructions. "Stay here," she found herself blurting, even though she didn't know if it would work. "Don't go out in the open, and don't get hurt. Don't get hurt. Don't move. Stay hidden. I'm-" Rein cut herself off, pushing herself to her feet. "Stay safe. Stay... I'll...!"

She rushed off and left him behind, throat constricting already.

Don't think. Just act. Don't think, just move and be fine—words rushed through her head, but the last one she settled on was _please._

She was sure she'd seen some of the others come this way, but they were nowhere in sight. But without bodies in sight, she couldn't let herself stall. She had to keep moving forward.

The strings of the sling burned against her fingers as she swung it in circles close to her side, the sling-bullet already loaded and ready to fire at any enemy she could come across. The sling wasn't foreign in her grasp. She'd modeled it after the friendship bracelet she'd made, so it had a certain familiarity, but she wasn't used to this weapon, not in a pinch. Rein had used a sling before, but as play. She hadn't touched one in months, but it was the best bet to pull through and stretch out her energy.

The weapon spun a mix of grey and orchid purple, the heat starting to crawl up her neck when the first competitor appeared before her.

* * *

The others in their group had been split up. Similar to the flow of things in Aiai, Zushi was once again alone, but this time he was up against several enemies. He'd held out for the majority of the hour, knocking out his opponents one by one, but they only kept coming with more numbers, renewed in strength.

He swung to the side, and the wind whistled through his ears as he grit his teeth and plowed through three, four, five more Nen users with a flurry of upward jabs and punches. He grabbed the body of one and hurled him towards the others, only buying himself a split second for him to throw his head back to narrowly miss a bullet.

He'd been doing okay. One of his limbs was twisted and hanging, but with his new Nen ability, he could control his brain to ignore the pain. He milled about like a doll on strings, occasionally hearing his own bones crack and fall silent, but feeling nothing as he did so.

With a swift block and a knock to the side, his current opponent fell, but he wasn't in any situation to be relieved. He was already up against at least dozens of others. Zushi sucked in a deep breath and tried to take a step forward, surprised when his own ankle failed him and twisted in on itself, sending him to the ground when he realized it was broken.

He scrambled for the weapon the enemy had dropped before anyone could grab it, and his heart fell when he saw someone else's hand land on it first. But those darkened knuckles seemed familiar to him, and he spared a glance to the side as he attempted to get up and ignored the sound of his bones grinding together.

It was Zepile who took a step in front of him, pressing a hand to his back for a brief moment, so comforting that he was surprised when he was met with serious eyes. There was a firmness about the man, the kind of stern that willed Zushi to give up on standing and let the other determine the flow of things.

His back was patted once, then twice; simple. Zepile stood.

"Get..." He breathed heavily as he turned to face the rest of them. If not for his shortness of breath, he would have been visibly shaking, though his hand still had enough energy to tremble when he raised the weapon. "Get _away_ from my son."

* * *

It was less than ten minutes later when her eyes flickered, trying to dampen themselves to try and convince herself that no, this was not happening again. Perhaps the water would wash away the horrid canvas before her, but the colors did nothing but smear the image, and the red became more pronounced. She wished it wasn't happening.

But...

It looked so real.

(And the cruel part was that it was. Stars, it _was_ real.)

She'd been so close this time. They'd all been so close this time. She'd reached Lucky before the organization and even succeeded in lengthening his life span, but that did nothing to negate this conclusion, where nothing was solved and nothing improved. She'd been able to improve her Hatsu this time, ensure Lucky's safety for all of three minutes, and fight, but even then-

That desensitizing feeling overcame her as Rein's thought process cut off and became blank, lids drooping and a sharp pain stinging at her skull. She tilted her head back and allowed it all to happen, giving herself in to the flow of time for what would soon feel like eternity.

Again.

And again.  
  


And again.  
  
  
  
* * *

Rein woke up with a sta-

She flung off her sheets to try and draw some air into her constricting lungs. She gasped for a few seconds before forcing herself to quiet, and found a sickening grimace make its curved way into a smile.

How many rounds had she gone on now? A dozen? Even more? She'd tried so many more times, but nothing had worked, _nothing_ had worked. No matter how fast they arrived or how well she fought on her end, someone would be sacrificed. She'd fought this fight countless times before, and knew how the enemy would move to some extent, knowing that if she swerved to the right, someone would back up, while if she feigned left they would try to go for her legs, and more. But for the others, it was always their first time fighting, and they had no such instinctual knowledge on whichever enemy they would personally go against.

Even if she told them beforehand of what would occur, it wouldn't work. She'd tried once, snapped and forced herself to spit out to Phinks that he would be targeted with spikes and that he should watch his back. He'd only given her a grin and told her he'd take care, only for her to find him in the same terrible position later, cold. Really, her loved ones with their confident smiles... it always ended badly.

If she was cursed to stay in this time loop forever anyways, she briefly wondered if there were any alternatives for a way out. She weakly disregarded the thought.

At this point, she thought maybe she would've been able to handle it if things had been the same. If someone had taken a video of the moment everyone around her died and forced her to rewatch it over and over again, perhaps she could have dealt with it. But that wasn't it. It was watching a different expression of hopelessness and pain on their faces, a distinct pattern of blood trickling down their heads each time, and hearing their cries ever so slightly change every round.

She would break.

But not yet, she couldn't yet. The time when she woke up was the hardest. All she had to do was see their safe faces again and she would be fine—

Rein tried to get herself to stand, but immediately she fell, her hands skidding against the wooden boards as she came to a still resting point. The injuries she'd gotten during the last battle and the one before last and all the other times before that stung with new fervor, mocking her.

"Stand up," she murmured to herself bitterly. Her fists tightened against the wooden flooring. "Stand _up!"_

A drop fell to the ground between her arms, and she could only watch as they started to shake. A sob escaped her raw lips, and she shut her eyes tight and tilted her head to the ceiling to keep it from spilling.

Just see them. See them happy and alive and she would feel motivated again.

She forced herself to right (yes, she could always stand eventually, like she had before) and brought herself to the kitchen, where Gon and the others were cleaning up their mess.

She had the map from Shalnark. She'd had the picture for a while, actually, but it had taken too many tries to figure out how to read it, and there had been too many losses in the process. Too much had been taken from her while she figured out the quickest route around each obstacle, but this time, this time would be different.

Rein pushed through to the refrigerator and opened it with all her tired strength. She couldn't recall whether she'd had anything to eat last time or not. She'd skipped on continuous pancakes for some time now. Her eyes roved for anything other than that food, and was pleased when she found an apple.

"R-Rein." Gon instinctively drew away before reaching out to her. The first five instances or so, he asked normally out of concern. But lately, his alarm had started to escalate upon seeing her, and she could see the reactions of everyone doing the same. She was almost afraid to look at her reflection now. "What happened?"

Stars, this dreaded question. This stupid, cursed, _dreaded_ question.

She took the apple from the fridge and held it to her lips, not minding when the coldness bit her tongue right back. "Bad night," she said. "A bad dream."

Rein glanced toward the milk puddle Kalluto and Zushi had been cleaning up before they'd caught sight of her. "You should leave that," she told their worried faces. "We're all going to be out of this place in thirty minutes."

"Thirty minutes?" Zushi asked.

She nodded, dark circles below her eyes as she almost knocked out with each dip of the head. "Thirty minutes and we'll end this. This time, we will."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> excuse my "fight scenes"


	64. Glimpse of the Future

Her words had been bold for a dying soul. She wondered if it had been too bold for her purposes.

Rein balanced the apple core between her teeth, pulling out the map and marking it with the road she had on her phone so the others could follow along in her explanations. She started to print out another sheet of paper, of a rough estimate of the area where Lucky was. She hoped this one time would be enough for them to understand her plan. During her dozens of retries, one thing had made itself clear, and that key was essential in ending her time loop once and for all.

The only reason they'd been brought into the fight at all was because they'd tried to save Lucky, and they'd continued to fight even after his death because the organization was trying to kill them to do away with anybody who could become a threat later. Chrollo often proposed similar strategies, to leave no one behind who could interfere with their purposes. If that was also the mentality of the enemy, withdrawal wasn't an option.

Lucky died because he was the organization's sole target. Zushi died because the enemy was too many and he was inexperienced. Zepile died by arriving at the battlefield despite having no fighting skills or plan in mind. Phinks had been impaled with something she saw as a Conjurer item, which meant that he must have been up against someone who could seal Nen. Machi had been alive and fighting, but her task would be difficult with injured hands. Rein herself had pulled through out of desperation and being brought into the same circumstances repeatedly. Gon, Killua, and Kalluto had disappeared to the other side of the battlefield, so she didn't know how they fared during all of this. She pleaded that they be alright.

Yes, most of this scenario had a line of sense running through it. There was only one factor that didn't add up, and that factor was Feitan Portor.

A few times, she'd seen him with blood trickling down a gash on his chest. Impressive, considering it took a lot to break his skin. He had the most fluid and controlled aura out of all of them. It didn't matter how skilled his opponent was, or even if they managed to hurt him. Because somehow, throughout all of this, Rein had always believed him to be stronger.

Feitan's ability—Rising Sun—was a Hatsu that rode on his emotions, such as rage or excitement. If he received injuries, it would only make his ability stronger. With Rising Sun, they could win easily, burning to a crisp all who stood against them. So why was it not being used?

One could argue it was because he'd lost Phinks, or motivation because Lucky was dead. But that logic was weak. Nothing could hold him back, and she knew he wasn't one to dwell on past events or to let it affect his fighting ability. Even if such a thing leaked into his state of mind, it would only fuel his rage and empower his flames.

He'd been far from defeated, and he would never let any low thing such as past emotional matters trifle him in the glory of fighting. So why were his Transmuter abilities left sealed? The question had run itself through her head multiple times before she'd come to a conclusion: Unless it was for pure gain, Feitan never attacked his own allies, not directly.

They were standing in his way, which meant there was only one path they could possibly take. In the moments after rescuing Lucky, they needed to clear the area while leaving all the organization in Feitan's hands, and bring themselves to safety as he brought down the full heat of his wrath upon them. This was their only option, and after dozens of tries at other methods, she didn't think there would be any other way to break free. They had to do this. She had to do this. Otherwise Lucky would die and Phinks would die and others would too and she would be left all alone and they would all be _dead_ -

That word. It ghosted through her thoughts unheeded, and flowed off the tip of her tongue just as smoothly. She tested it aloud.

"Dead."

She waited for some sort of response from herself, and the emptiness that greeted her was haunting. A dull shiver rippled over her skin at just how _easy_ that word was now.

"Rein?"

Her canine cracked down on an apple seed, bringing her back to her senses. "Gon."

"You had a plan, right?" He sat down next to her and observed the map with vigor, and the others started to come in. She'd been right to have him gather everyone else while she prepared the map. Though it was only five in the morning, his demeanor made him possible to ignore no matter how one wished to stay asleep. "It's great how you came up with a plan in such a short time."

Short. She leaned back and let him think so. Though her appearance seemed to rattle him at first, he treated her normally, chattering as usual and smiling all the same. It was a nice change from the wary and concerned looks she got from everyone else. She was grateful.

As soon as everyone was seated, she dropped the apple core in a nearby trash can and rolled out the map to its fullest. "This is the path to where Lucky is. Shal tracked his phone. And this," Rein gestured at a smaller area and didn't allow anyone to question what she'd just said, "is where Feitan is going to go all out and get rid of the enemy all at once. The rest of us only have the goal of getting Lucky out safely." She met each of their gazes, and for a brief moment forgot the aching pain clinging to the bags under her eyes.

A brief flash of black clouded her vision, but it disappeared as quickly as it had come, leaving her sight blurred and swaying. Her head pounded for a fleeting moment but it passed as well, and she ignored all this.

"Questions?"

* * *

She'd explained each of the main obstacles on the path there, and as the sun finally started to creep across a blue sky, Rein realized they were making the trek in record time.

Lately, she'd been surprised with how well they all had been listening to her. They didn't ask for much confirmation or explanation, only took her word for it though she hadn't said anything about why she knew. Rein suspected that maybe the Spiders were catching on. Machi was the one who'd tended to her injuries, old and new, and she knew better than all of them how such an old scar was impossible to receive over the course of one night. Add that up with other irregularities, such as her demeanor or the rhinestone-studded phone that had appeared out of nowhere, and with Machi's keen gut feeling it would be no wonder if she'd figured out a reason behind all this.

The Scarlet Eyes appeared during emotional distress, after all. It wouldn't be too difficult to connect the Specialist aspect with how worn down Rein looked once one had all the pieces.

Once the Spiders were on her side, it took only a while to convince the rest to listen to her words. 

She'd attempted to convince Zepile not to follow after them, but Rein doubted he would do as she asked. She'd tried many times before, but every time she would see him in the same position, hunched over his son. And while she didn't blame him—he'd finally found family after such a long time and was coming to terms with it—it was such terrible timing for a man with no combat ability to come to his senses during the day of battle.

But they'd left early enough, gotten to the location quickly, and she'd even shut Zepile out while she'd discussed the plan, taking measures to even lock him indoors as soon as they left. Even if he did come, he would come after everything was cleaned up. So he was one person she'd been able to save so far.

Now she had to help everyone else.

She slid to a stop in the middle of the forest, kicking up clouds of dirt. "Lucky is that way," she said, breathless. "We..." Rein paused herself here, trying to determine the best numbers. But there was no way to tell, was there? Her breath shook at the base of her throat, and she had to gulp before saying: "...all. We'll all go to where Lucky is, except Feitan. You stay here and fight, and use your Hatsu once you feel us clear the area."

There was a brief bout of annoyance spread across his face at being given orders, but he did nothing else to retaliate against it as he scanned his surroundings.

They left him behind, speeding ahead to where Rein informed them Lucky would be. She forced herself to face forward and assured herself if Feitan was really all that everyone expected of him, he would pull off his task easily. The plan had to work.

* * *

"Lucky!" Rein shot herself forward with an extra boost, ramming him head-on and knocking him off his feet as they went tumbling to the ground. They rolled for a distance before coming to a sprawled halt.

His features displayed terror for a moment before recognizing who it was. He smiled. "Re-"

She couldn't help but kick her legs up and down childishly, expressing everything her voice couldn't. It had been a while since she'd seen him alive. When she heard everyone else come up she stood as well, motioning for Lucky to stay down.

"Yo," Killua said, a casual hand in the air as he trotted over. "Still not dead, huh?"

"That's real harsh," Lucky responded, pressing a hand to his side and trying his best to not take labored breaths. But by the time his gaze landed on Machi, his breathing had become more like gasps for air, the effects of being on the run for several hours finally catching up to him and taking its toll. Sweat plastered his bangs to his forehead as he panted, strength leaving his limbs. 

Phinks stepped forward and grabbed Lucky by the arm, who did little to complain as he was lifted up over the man's shoulder with as much ease as hoisting a sack of potatoes. "Fei told me to tell you," he mentioned, crouching down to hide them both in the shade of the bushes, "you look pathetic."

His sigh was as short of breath as the rest of his exhales, but it was there. "Thanks."

"So?" Phinks looked to Rein. "Which way we headed?"

After checking, she pointed, "That way. But we still have to be careful of any lingering enemies, so we might have a few detours."

"On that note," Machi cupped a hand to her ear, "I don't think we'll have to worry. It sounds like Feitan is receiving the brunt of it."

"That bastard," said Phinks angrily, standing up and carrying Lucky on his back towards where Rein had gestured, kicking the ground as he went. "He's having fun without me while I have to play along with brats over here. He's not getting off with just broken bones if he rubs it in my face later."

"Zushi, Gon, and Killua, stay in a triangle formation surrounding Phinks," Rein continued to instruct. "Kalluto and Machi, go on the sides and watch carefully for any opponent. It's the shortest distance to attack that way. I'll be in the back."

Machi's head tilted questioningly at the vital position Rein was in, but she let it slide and simply did as the girl asked.

They could trust Machi's sharp hearing, she knew. If Feitan was holding back the lot of them, all for the better. The more difficult the task was, the hotter and more efficient his rage-fueled flames would be, and they could rid themselves of their worries quicker.

Rein followed after them as best she could, looking back almost every second and concentrating on her hearing for any snap of a twig or a rustle of leaves that felt out of place. A shadow darted between two trees and Rein brought up her sling, swinging it around in buzzing circles as a simple stone came to rest as a sturdy weight in its middle. The second the overshadowed head peeked out from behind shelter, her wrist snapped sharply as she sent the stone hurling toward its target. She looked elsewhere as she heard him groan and fall lifeless.

A pause. Her body continued in motion—running back, seeing, throwing, hitting, (killing). But there was nothing behind her eyes now; an empty girl making her way through the trees. As they went on, the roaring of a gargantuan waterfall rushed through her ears and stifled the cries of the others she managed to hit. She could not hear them, not anymore. She was grateful for the water crashing onto the rocks below.

It made her deaf to what she was doing, and if she closed her eyes she could disregard it completely.

Blood?

No.

Darkness.

Sweet darkness and white noise.

It was only a mere moment that her eyes were shut, but her heel caught on a loose tree root. Her eyes opened as she fell back and landed on grass-padded ground. Rein blinked, and turned her head in a drugged state.

All of them, they were so far away now. She'd fallen behind. She had to catch up.

Rein pushed herself up and didn't notice how the world swayed beneath her feet. They couldn't leave her behind. Please, they couldn't leave her behind, they couldn't _leave_ her! She watched as their figures became smaller and smaller, and her hand reached out to them silently. No, don't leave, they _couldn't-!_

Suddenly, she dropped to one knee. Her arm somehow managed to respond in time and stop her fall before she could collapse completely, sparks flying up her nerves and snapping herself wide awake. She gasped for breath, air hitting the back of her throat in a stinging wave. The grit bit at her palms and all her conjured items fizzled into nothing, escaping between her fingers like foam through water. Rein watched as it all faded away; her carefully conjured sling, her stones, and the sight before her, their running backs too far ahead for her to call out to them.

It came to her in unforeseen pain, and she clenched her teeth together as she clutched her head. Something was hammering at her skull from the inside out, an immense pressure building up at the base of her eyeballs and shooting blood into her vision. She tried to scream, but her tongue fell mute to the throbbing of her head. Rein curled in on herself as a gargle made its way up the back of her throat, and she struggled against the dirt in a feeble attempt to make it _stop._

Feitan's En was wide, but it lost to the effects of Rising Sun.

She pressed her knuckles against her forehead, her body still writhing on the ground. She forced herself to stand, though it felt like nails were piercing themselves into her bones.

If she stayed any longer and he knew about it, he wouldn't be able to use his Hatsu. On the other hand, if she was already out of range of his En, then...

There was an explosion of fire and smoke, shooting ahead to where she shakily stood. Her sight was already dark and murky, but even she could register the sheer force of the flames coming her way, tearing through trees and burning leaves to cinders.

Her voice caught in her chest. She tried to push past her splitting skull and somehow move away from the destruction, but it caught up to her all to quickly as her back was scorched by the full heat of his hot flames. It pressed against her exposed skin and bubbled under the intense hotness. Rein grit her teeth as she fell back and stumbled off the cliff side, disappearing into the deep watery blue below.


	65. Dying Embers Can Reignite

Feitan emerged in all regalness, his grin large and twisted behind the crimson cloth of his protective garments. He was a king, and the inferno was his kingdom. The white patterns and metal accents of his royal attire glowed orange as he stepped out of the pit of fire, flames trailing his heels on foreign soil and backlighting his figure.

As he grew farther away from the middle of it all, his outfit started to deteriorate and turned to ash as soon as it touched fresh air, leaving him only with himself and his original clothing. He lightly stamped his boots in the dirt, shaking off any lingering embers before they could burn through the leather.

A fist flew from behind him with the intention of smashing his open, but Feitan dodged and caught it easily, gripping the knuckles tightly. "Too slow."

Phinks drew back his fist, the indents red and hot from Feitan's fiery fingertips. He forced a sneer into his voice. "You got to have all the fun today."

He shrugged. Rather in a good mood from the fighting, he raised a finger to pull down his mask and allowed Phinks to see his face as he rightfully stated, "Not my problem I'm better than you." He was pleased when this caused a few veins to pop in the man's exposed forehead.

Before Phinks could throw another punch and escalate the teasing into a full-on fight, Feitan moved past him and walked on, keeping his own steady pace while ignoring his angered shouting from behind.

As he'd suspected, Phinks had come to ambush him on his own. The other members were situated by the lakeside, a peaceful and vast body of water coming from a large waterfall and flowing out into separate rivers and brooks. He couldn't make out each individual figure of theirs with the tree that hung low and overshadowed them, but...

It had to be a trick of a light. As he approached, he continued to run the numbers through his head, list each one of their faces he saw as he drew closer, rechecking and checking again because something had to be wrong. He had full confidence in his vision, so maybe some of their shadows were overlapping.

They couldn't be one short.

"Feitan-san!" Zushi came running up and tried to grab him, to which he skirted around the child. "Kalluto is trying to murder me."

"Ah," he affirmed, calling out from a distance as he pushed back the wall of overhanging leaves. Feitan could see his sleeves were bunched up as much as they could go, ready for action. "You mess with my hair, you face the death penalty. Get back here, you coward."

They ran in circles around the older Spider, and he rolled his eyes. Still, he couldn't stop himself from taking a final headcount. Phinks made one, Kalluto and Zushi with their stupid games made two and three. As Feitan slipped out of their human cage, he continued. Killua ranting about how easy the mission had been made four. Lucky was complaining it hadn't been anything short of immensely difficult for him, and prompted even further arguments that Feitan was growing tired of. _(Five.)_ It suddenly seemed as if everyone was actively going out of their way to flock to him, for the three he had left behind not moments ago and two he hadn't seen were suddenly in his presence. He understood he was the impromptu leader of the Spiders while Chrollo was gone, but this was a bit much.

 _Six, seven._ Only seven.

"Where Rein?"

"Come to think of it, I haven't-"

A sudden silence. No one was quite sure who'd spoken. Their thoughts instantly flew to the fire Feitan had left behind, the heart of it still ablaze in the distance and sending clouds of smoke into the air.

Killua turned his head towards Feitan. "You didn't burn her to smithereens, did you?"

He rolled his eyes. Still, he knew inside that if he had—which was a possibility considering there was a gray area in which he would burn but not be able to sense anything he did—she was beyond help.

Zushi spoke up quietly. "I thought it was an enemy first, but now that I think about it, it might have been Rein. I saw someone catch on fire." He shook his hands around quickly to calm them before they could say anything. "Rest assured, I'm sure the waterfall took care of it."

Machi's eyes narrowed. "Waterfall," she echoed quietly. It was meant to be asked, but it wasn't doubtful enough to be a question, as if she was wary of an answer she didn't want.

He nodded curtly. "It looked like she was falling, but if it was Rein, I guess she jumped into the water on purpose."

When Rein had been made a blank slate, the memory remover had stated they would need to write down specifically things they wanted her to remember. Chrollo had arranged it all so she would recall speech, movement, and basic laws of nature, but after that, he had needed to teach her. And they all had helped in that training. Maybe things hadn't gone quite the way they hoped it would, but Rein still was a healthy girl, and that had been successful in its own way. She knew how to fight. She knew what could be poisonous, when it was alright to let her guard down, and how to think for herself. But among the things they'd taught her after she lost her memory, a few had been left out. Machi looked out over the surface of the water sharply, and her words came quick:

"Rein can't swim."

As soon as the words left her, there was a splash in the lake. On the shore, pairs of shoes and two jackets had been left behind; one of a tracksuit and one a vibrant rustic green. The two Enhancers were already well ahead, splashing with long, hurried strokes.

Killua shrugged. There was a certain weight to his shoulders as he did so, but he didn't seem to be as concerned. "It's Rein," he said, kicking off his sneakers. "I think she'll be able to survive for a bit, so we just have to find her before it's too late. If she's smart, she probably set off a burst of aura before she fell, so while she'll be unconscious, at least she'll float to the surface."

Machi looked him straight in the eye. "Her Hatsu. Her skirt," she listed. The girl had always had a fascination for petrology, and tended to drop anything that caught her eye into her pockets, pockets that had grown larger over the years to have enough capacity to have all her rocks at her side at all times. Even her Nen ability was based on rocks now. Conjured and real, it was a certainty she would have them both to weigh her down. "Rein couldn't float if she tried."

There was a moment of silence as her words sunk in before a curse slipped Killua's lips and he started to pull off his shirt.

* * *

It had only been a few minutes, but for searching under the water it had been far too long.

Those who could swim were paddling furiously about the vast lake and the crashing waterfall, diving and squinting their eyes in hopes that they could spot her. There was a chance that she'd been pulled into an air pocket, but it was far more likely her aura had done something subconsciously to try and keep her alive. But she was still out there somewhere, and even before they'd left the lodge she'd been covered in all sorts of injuries and only barely able to keep her head up. Her aura wouldn't hold out for long, if it even had at all. If it hadn't...

Lucky nursed a fractured rib on the side, clenching his jaw as he could only sit and watch.

Machi came back up from the stream trickling out of the lake. She'd set various nets in different places with her threads, so if Rein hit one of them she would automatically know. But the nets only covered so much, and there were numerous places her nets wouldn't be able to reach. The possibility it would be of use was slim.

"Crap," said Lucky, voice cracking. "Crap."

Dozens of feet away in the middle of the lake, Phinks broke through the water's surface, treading for a few moments and shouted several stronger swear words at the top of his lungs before raking in a deep breath and diving again.

Machi agreed with them both, muttering under her breath as her grip on her own crossed arms tightened. She herself wasn't an adequate swimmer and would only be in the way if she stepped a foot into the water. From a distance, she could only look and observe. She would have preferred if it had been a rockslide or any other site on solid ground, where they could all easily clear away the rubble and determine, at least, where Rein _wasn't_. But water could not be plowed away. It couldn't be blown through with Phinks' Ripper Cyclotron and it couldn't be cut away with her threads. If one scooped it out of the way, it would only flow back into place, obscuring places they had already searched and perhaps carrying Rein further out of their reach.

If Rein was holding out at all, the circumstances were already looking grim.

Machi turned her head towards the cliff Zushi claimed Rein had fallen from. If there were only some sort of way to pinpoint where she was visually, then perhaps they could try and spot it from that height. But even her vivid red skirt would fade quickly in the water, and the depths were...

The sun shifted in the sky, sending sharp rays of light into Machi's eyes. She squinted and held a hand up for shade, the sunlight breaking off and fracturing into small beams, sending the water sparkling. It would have been beautiful if they hadn't been so pressed for time.

Her gaze narrowed, but not from the light.

...sparkling.

"...Stones..."

A sudden vision came to her. The wooden planks of the lodge and a firm door behind her back (the shower room? Why was she there?), holding a tattered skirt and a phone she'd never seen before. (A phone. Rein didn't have a phone, at least she hadn't thought so.) In the faded memory it was there in her hands, refracting the ceiling lights in the most obnoxious way. She'd asked her about them. (But when?)

"Rhinestones."

She didn't know where the memory had come from. It was grayed and hazy and far from trustworthy, but the familiarity of it twisted in her gut and told her to take it, take it and run and act before it was too late.

"Rhinestones," Machi repeated, pulse beginning to race. She whipped around to Lucky and pointed up at the high cliff, not knowing how to convey her thoughts until her tongue moved on its own. "How good is your eyesight?"

* * *

 _"There!"_ Lucky shouted, leaning over the edge of the precipice and pointing at the area sparkling brighter than the rest of the water's surface. "Nearer to the mouth of the stream!"

Gon listened to his instructions and ducked his head in the lake, twisting his body and pushing off the bank with a burst of aura. His figure shot through the water, sending a spray of white and foam through the air behind him. His eyes were wide open, searching the water for any sign of her. He'd been concerned on whether he would overlook it, but it was impossible to miss; a phone studded with gems and refracting light right towards him. Behind it, almost perfectly concealed by the underwater vegetation, floated a limp hand.

Pushing forward, Gon tried to pry away the rocks she'd gotten snagged on. Large bubbles leaked from his mouth as he gave a cry muted by the water, and it fell away. Her body rose from the movement and he stole that instant she was lifted up to scoop her into his arms and shoot for the surface.

Gon broke through the lapping waves and drew a breath, only hoping she was able to do the same. He wasted no time in locking her arms around his own neck and held her in place as he swam for the shore with a single hand. The others had run to the bank closest to where Lucky had indicated, awaiting Gon and hurrying him on as they sprinted to where they estimated they would land.

Killua arrived first and jumped into the water to haul them both in, dumping both his best friend and the girl onto solid earth.

She landed with a squelch to her drenched clothes and lay ever so horrifyingly still.

He intertwined his fingers around the back of his hand after he turned her face-up and started to push down on her chest repeatedly, going off on fuzzy memories of vague instructions. Killua hopes he wasn't messing this up. He'd only gotten two pumps in when Machi finally caught up and shoved him aside. She took over completely, bringing her ear to her mouth and feeling for a pulse before she bit her lower lip and restarted the procedure.

The rest of them came one by one and could only stand by with their fists to their sides as Machi's figure bobbed up and down, Rein seeming to convulse from the impact but lifeless when her chest rose up. It dragged on for eternity, and the air became heavy after Machi resorted to tilting her head back to attempt to blow the life into her. After two breaths, she started on the compressions again. It was procedure, and this was what was supposed to occur. But it felt so violent, so wrong, and so... so useless, because Rein wasn't getting up.

Machi was about to tilt her head back once more when her chest rose. It was weak, quiet, but it was moving on its own nonetheless. Brushing back pink locks that had escaped her tie from the movement, she tried to instruct them on how to move the girl back to the lodge safely when her eyes cracked open.

Her lips, damp, clammy, and with a bluish tinge to them barely moved when she breathed, "Luck... and... Ph... Phi..." Rein suddenly coughed, her back hitting the ground repeatedly as she spurted up water as her body's plea for help. She dropped still, her chest in terrible crushed pain.

Phinks heard her gargled attempt to say his name and stepped forward, striving to slap on a normal taunting grin. It came out softer than he wanted, however, resulting in a rare tamed expression. He chose his next words carefully. "You looked like Death before we left the lodge, but you look even worse now." He let out a faint 'hmph' in a sort of reassuring chuckle, and bent down to pick her up the way Machi had instructed. "Glad to see you're still kicking."

"You're okay," Rein choked through her pain. Though her eyelids looked as if they were going to shut again at any moment, the tears that rolled down the sides of her face somehow kept them pried open. "You're all..."

The corners of her eyes crinkled the slightest bit. She closed them for some rest, in peace she hadn't felt in a long time.

"I'm so glad you're all okay."

* * *

"You did all this," Kurapika seethed, "for _money_."

His employer nodded as such, not quite sure in his own mind why the person he'd appointed as commander was so riled up. He leaned back on the open balcony. "Any wish can be granted. Why wouldn't I wish for such a splendid thing? It's what rules this world, what brings you happiness."

"You attempted to kill this man and the entire group accompanying him in the process," he continued softly, the fists at his sides clenched so hard that his knuckles paled white. "Some of them were just children."

"Nen-using children, mind you." His employer shook his head sadly. "It was their choice to interfere. The monsters. Devils."

Those last words rang in Kurapika's ears with a stinging familiarity, and he could only see red. Still, he kept his head lowered, allowing his hanging bangs to cover up the rest of his expression. "I am the head of your forces. It is my duty to give orders to them, not you. The majority of our entire forces are gone because of this rash decision you made to kidnap him."

He clicked his tongue. "Shame too, really. Hiring them drained much of my resources, and I heard they were the best I could get my hands on. If I rehire, I'll have to get second-rate fighters for the same pay."

He'd felt this same rage when he'd worked under Neon, when she'd disregarded the deaths of her guards in concern for her auction slots. But the anger he was feeling now was greater, kindled over a long period of time and finally raging in a change of air. This time it had affected his friends, his precious friends who had accepted him and his past warmly. And Aira, the only one like him left.

When he looked up his eyes were burning brightly, shining as the moon and casting scarlet vengeance that rendered his colored contacts near useless.

His employer stumbled back at the sight, throat constricting. His hands blindly grappled for some sort of surface as Kurapika approached him. "D-don't come near," he threatened weakly, and started to mumble vague things under his breath. "Kurta! That's what you are. Cursed Kurta that escaped and hid your eyes. There's more, aren't there? I'll find where they're all hiding-" His hand slipped the edge of the guardrail and the rest of his body followed, going off the side.

"Sir," Kurapika said, hollow, before he recognized what was happening. He sped to the edge of the balcony and reached down. "Sir, grab my hand!"

But there was still fear lingering in his eyes. He tried to swat Kurapika away, lost his grip, and fell, rolling and bouncing on hard shingles before free falling to the ground.

Kurapika's eyes were wide as he took it all in, quiet. He slid down and sat there for a few minutes, breath shallow as he heard muffled shouts from around him. In a daze, he turned his head back towards the room and somehow brought himself in. He sat in the vacated chair numbly, his eyes casting over papers about sister jewels, the transfer of aura, and instant materialization, along with information on two jewels and what they could do together.

His vision could barely keep itself straight, but certain words caught his eyes and burned themselves into his memory.

_Any wish will be granted-_

He didn't bother to read the rest of the sentence, didn't care for the rest of the information as his arms came loose and hung at his sides. It echoed in his mind. _Any._

"Commander," a man burst into the room, "the boss has just been found and confirmed dead!"

Did he answer?

"Orders?"

He shook his head at first. What for, he didn't know. "I will take over as leader for now. After such a large loss, I ask everyone else to take their leave. I'll make sure the pay gets wired to your accounts like the previous boss arranged."

With a click of the door, Kurapika was alone once more.

_Any._

He stood.

He... he could do this.

The more the idea turned itself around in his mind, the more it made sense to him. It was a wonder he hadn't seen this possibility the first time his employer mentioned wishes coming true. He became almost giddy at the thought, his steps feeling light as he paced, sending the papers to the ground with the movement he made.

His entire clan he'd lost, everybody he'd grown up around—his loving parents, the crafty elders, his neighbors and aunts and uncles and friends—none of them had deserved to die at wicked hands. Now he had a chance to redo all of it, to undo the horrible injustice done to the entire Kurta Clan. If what his employer had said was true, it would be as easy as turning back the hands of a clock, which was, in a sense, what he would do. He'd given up on it completely, never even thought that Nen could do such a wondrous thing as bringing back the dead. But it could, and he was going to take advantage of it.

He would bring Pairo back. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> is this a villain origin i see


	66. What We've Gained

Rein ran a high fever for days afterwards. She tossed and turned in her blankets, beading sweat and hot to the touch. Dreams and nightmares ran through her head like the fire she'd almost burned in as she mumbled in her sleep and cried out at times, kicking at the bed and clutching fistfuls of her hair before someone took her hand and she calmed, pulling back into a peaceful state once more.

Machi assured them that her physical health would be fine. It didn't look as if she was suffering from secondary drowning, and while the bandages around her burns often came undone when she struggled, they were healing nicely. Personally, she had her own hunch to what was happening. There was little to base it off, but the anomalies were enough, and she suspected Rein had gone through that one day many more times than they had. And looking at it, quite a bit of trauma had stacked up during that time as well.

She was positive her theory was right. It was her gut, after all, and it had proven itself to always be correct in one way or another. But she hadn't told anyone yet, not even the Spiders she'd spent years with. Before informing them came Rein's mental and emotional health, which would be vital in making a full physical recovery as well. And for that, Feitan or Phinks would be of no assistance.

"Lucky," Machi stated once before entering the room. She wouldn't suffice for Rein's needs at the moment, no matter how she tried. The only person who would be able to assist was him.

"Pinky, _no!"_ a yell came, turning shrill on the last syllable. But the door opened nonetheless, and she walked in while he tried to hide.

She tilted her head quizzically, lips pursed. "I've seen and tended to your bare chest before," she commented. "There is no reason to conceal it now. If anything, you should be concerned with how often I'm forced to _see_ your bare chest, usually in much more dire circumstances than this."

"I'm _changing_ , it's different," he tried to argue, attempting to pull on a shirt and sucked in a breath when his old injuries ached. "I know I get hurt a lot, and thanks for helping me all the time with it. I guess I shouldn't snap if you don't really understand normal human conventions." He tugged down the shirt and stumbled when he turned back and found her eyes glued on him. "Why are you staring?"

Why indeed.

She blinked once to bring her thoughts together. "You have... pleasing symmetry." The scars littering his skin and hopelessly mussed hair made him far from symmetrical, but that response had been the only one to pop into her mind. (Strange, normally she could think of dozens of comebacks.) Machi proceeded with matters quickly. "It's about Rein."

"Ah," he merely responded, acknowledging it all. "Something's been going on, hasn't it?"

"I suspect that she's gone through far more than she's letting on. She needs a weight off her shoulders. You're skilled in that kind of manipulation with people. Could you have one of those talks with her once she's stabled?"

"Sure." Then Lucky squinted, and his words came slow. "Every time, you label what I do as manipulation or something of the sort. Why? I'm a Specialist, though I'd kiss goodbye to my unfortunate Nen if I could. I'm not..."

"Then what..." When Lucky talked to Rein after everything had gone wrong and everyone else failed, he alone had somehow been the one to stop her tears despite knowing her for less than half a day. She herself had only been cold to Lucky prior to it, and though her own thoughts had changed toward him, she'd been sure his hadn't. Yet when asked, he'd conversed with her, sat down with colored threads with different purposes from her own. And though they'd never talked— _really_ talked—she afterwards noticed a light to herself she hadn't completely understood until her darkness had been cleared. Voice faint, she finished, "...what other word is there?"

His lips parted the slightest bit, and his eyes softened. "Comforting, Machi. What I do is comfort people."

The muscles in her jaw relaxed as she acknowledged this answer, and moved to mimic his. (Not completely, though. She wouldn't give into the urge just yet. She didn't think such a sweet and awkward look to her would match anyways.)

Suddenly, realization strung the air.

They sat in stunned silence as she noiselessly waved her hands about and pointed at him, while he muted himself and covered in his mouth in something akin to horror at what he'd done. With a strawberry glow creeping along every surface of his face, it wasn't horror in its purest sense, but rather—she deduced—embarrassment. She didn't know why she phrased her next words as a question, when the answer was so blatantly obvious. "Did you just call me 'Machi'?"

His breath shook as his palms moved to his eyes and then the sides of his head, as if he were the three wise monkeys. Lucky's lips formed 'crap' but couldn't force it aloud. What he did manage to say, however, was, "What have I done?"

"You've called me by my real name."

"D-doesn't it feel weird? Too personal?"

"I think a nickname would be considered the more personal of the two, if anything." She cast a doubtful look. "If that's the case, then how do you feel every time you're called 'Lucky'?"

He attempted a feeble argument. "It's different-!"

Her tone came incredibly flat. "I see. A lot seems to be _'different'_ with you."

A laugh entered his lungs when he scoffed and rolled his eyes. It came to her attention that she'd never seen such an expression on him before. He often dipped into the sarcastic end of things, and was seldom serious when he didn't have to be, but this strange blend of joking and sardonic was new to her.

"I give. Then... Machi." Lucky dropped his hands and was finally able to look her in the eye. "I like your name. It fits."

She nodded. "Chrollo's told me so before. It means 'waiting' in an eastern language near-"

"No, I meant just the way it sounds." He grinned. "It suits you." 

Machi tried to speak, tried to respond to this, but the word wouldn't come out. There had to have been something wrong with her. The entirety of her head felt as if it was starting to overheat, like she'd just run to her limit. She wanted to breathe, but the features on her face were frozen, and her warmth wasn't thawing it. "L..." Every pulse of her blood rang in her ears like a cannon blow. Could words cause sickness? The symptoms had started after Lucky told her that her own name matched her.

Machi was finally able to fix her gaze on the ground as she answered. "Likewise."

* * *

Neither Zepile nor Zushi could speak to one another for awhile, occasionally saying 'um' or each other's names at the same time before falling silent. It was Zushi who broke free from this pattern by, ironically, using the same method. "Zepile-san," he started to say, but the man shook his head.

"No honorific. We're... related. You can drop it."

He shifted. "Okay then. Otou-san?"

Zepile wasn't sure how to respond to this. "Once again, no honorific," he chuckled, "I know that's common, but it seems a bit stiff. Go for something a little less formal."

Confusion filled his features. _"Father?"_

His lips pursed, and he draped an arm over the boy's shoulders. "You know what? How about you just call me 'Dad'?"

Zushi was hesitant. "Dad," he echoed, testing how it felt in his mouth before he approved, nodding. "Okay. Dad. What was my mother like?"

He brought a cigarette up to his lips while thinking about how to respond to this when he realized the child was starting to lean away despite doing his best not to do so. Looking down, he pondered. Instead of taking out a match, he plucked it from his mouth and set it aside. The unmasked exhale in relief was a reward enough for him. "She was smart, and... her words were so flowery. Like... I don't know. Like she saw things no one else could."

Zepile was a simple man. With his little knowledge of her and borrowed words, this was all he could offer. But Zushi also held this simple mindset, and was content with this tidbit. He was satisfied.

Gradually, they began to talk some more. They inquired and spoke of each other's backgrounds and the history of years past, attempting to fit in all the details of the other they had been absent for. With it came the discussion of dreams and hobbies, accomplishments and more. They sat side by side for the better part of the hour, conversing. But something bothered Zepile, a simple splinter in his side growing into a thorn and then an arrowhead before he could no longer ignore it.

"Sorry, I'm going to step out for a bit."

He did just that, guilt tugging at him. Fingers quick, he took his phone and started to compose a long text before thinking better of it and writing short ones. He moved to send it. All the repercussions of this, all the chaos it could cause, he would have to deal with later.

Zepile hesitated. And who wouldn't? He'd worked with his employer—this mysterious "Kurapika" that had been the subject of hushed voices everywhere he went—for months now. His cover hadn't been entirely blown, mostly overshadowed by the revelation that Zushi was his son.

(A son. He... _He_ had a son now.)

(And with it came responsibilities.)

So yes, Zepile's finger paused and hovered over the screen for a brief second before he sent his text. But he'd chosen this course, and he wouldn't give up. Running away would never be an option now, and he supposed he would have to learn how to accept things head-on. A sense of freedom washed over him the second his thumb hit _send_ , and he quickly turned off his phone completely before giving a content sigh and going back into the room.

"Sorry to make you wait, kid," he said, and the door shut behind him.

* * *

 **Unentered number** _has changed to_ **Zepile**

Zepile  
I'll put things simply.

Zepile  
I won't be working for you anymore.

**Zepile** _has left_

* * *

It was less than a week later that Rein was able to sit up, even attempting to take small, calculated steps before her legs gave out. Her burns had healed for the most part, pulling into pink, puckered scars. Even the headaches of mysterious origin were starting to fade.

It hadn't been head _ache_ , exactly. It had been pure _pain_ , razor sharp and dangerous and causing her anguish. It could have been from when she'd hit her head on a rock and knocked herself unconscious during her earlier retries, or perhaps it was a product of stress or her time loops. It had come in her sleep a few times, but they'd gradually dissipated, leaving her grateful while simultaneously wondering if it had just been a prolonged nightmare. Her physical health spoke volumes otherwise, though.

She had a bit more strength today. Lucky had visited her an hour back, and with his talk she felt as ready as she would ever be to get it over with. Over the past days she'd been fully conscious, she'd considered the idea in her head. She was afraid to go through with it, _terrified_. Rein assured herself that enough time had passed, that they were in no dire situation now.

Whispers ran through her mind and breathed irrationalities up her sides and into her ears— _What if it goes wrong? What if you mess this up for everyone and everything ends up so much worse? It'll be your fault. It'll all be your fault_ —and she was weak to these. But it was in her most fragile state that Rein found it in herself to finally just ignore her fears and go on ahead. For this, she would not be hindered. It had to be done.

"How's the bedriddee?" Killua popped in, followed by Gon and one other.

"That's not a word," Kalluto said, strolling through the open door.

His brother seemed annoyed at this, white hair flouncing when he turned sharply. "It's a joke. Jeez, can't you take one? Laugh sometimes."

Kalluto huffed and turned his head. "When you make a joke that's funny, I'll consider laughing."

Gon pushed in between them. "Hey, hey, you two were just starting to get along! This isn't about you two. Right now, we're here to check on Rein."

Before, it seemed as if Killua had been to one to keep Gon under control, but the tables had been completely turned. Now Gon was actively trying to smooth out things between the quarreling brothers, whose fights had been escalating ever since she'd woken up to listen to them. As he turned and tried to apologize offhandedly for their sake, the two Zoldycks stuck out their tongues at each other, faces grimacing and as expressive as she'd ever seen them. Rein laughed abruptly, at how close they had become.

"Could you get a cup and some water?" She finally asked after she was done chortling at their antics and how they glared when she did so. (She noticed that under their angered looks, there was also a touch of relief when she smiled, and this made her happy.) "A leaf too. I need to test something."

In a matter of minutes, she was able to get what she wanted, and they all settled. Kalluto drew up a chair and sat on it with his back straight, Killua did likewise expect for his posture, which was a complete mess, and Gon simply plopped down on the floor. Rein crossed her legs on the bed and brought her hands to the nightstand where the cup was.

She fought the urge to warn them to stay back, just in case, or give this up entirely. For once, she told herself it would be fine and acted before she could change her mind.

Rein engaged her Ren and the water shook for a moment before impurities started to form at its base. Conjurer. And now, she closed her eyes briefly. They were only cracked open the slightest bit when she finally did open them, but her irises almost glowed through her eyelids, bright and fire-laden.

The water did not change, the impurities continuing to bubble at a steady pace.

She sighed and gave up, going to Zetsu once more for her healing process.

Moments passed in silence before Gon spoke up from his position in the floor. "I don't get it," he said. "Aren't you supposed to be a Specialist when you switch to Scarlet Eyes? At least that's how it was with Kurapika. Why didn't the cup change?"

She exhaled, and nodded as if the words wouldn't come. "You know how your category can change over time? I think... I think that's what's happening to me. I've grown out of my Specialist state. Shal said that it's easier to happen when you try to force a Nen ability, and, well, I-I've been doing that forcing a lot lately and..." Rein rested, a hand to her cooled forehead. "I'm relieved, actually."

It was no lie. It was only one less thing to worry about, but at least it wouldn't plague her anymore. Change had always had some sort of dangerous aspect to her in her mind, but this was welcome. It was like losing a tooth and running her tongue over the empty and exposed gum it left, but with no further hole to fill, no soreness or bleeding that begged for her attention. It was simply gone, altered and awkward, but not uncomfortable.

This was... welcome.

A strange thought. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Me: Let's be nice to Rein now  
> also me: so listen she's going to have a fever and horrible nightmares and injuries and trauma


	67. It Means...

"On three."

"Okay."

"One..."

Rein stood up on 'two' ("T-Ah, wait, Rein, no!"), throwing both Killua and Gon off balance. She could stand well enough and walk a few steps, but her energy wouldn't hold for her to function normally. According to Machi, to make a full recovery she would need to walk with help from others and practice doing so until she didn't need assistance anymore. For this, Kalluto and Zushi were too short, and everybody above Lucky's age was too tall. The only options left were Gon and Killua, who were conveniently slightly taller than her for optimal walking support.

"Ah, Rein?" Gon spoke up after Killua finished complaining to her about listening to instructions. "I'm sorry I couldn't get your phone out of the lake. I tried going back to look for it this morning, but I couldn't find it."

She shook her head. "Don't sweat it. I probably wouldn't have used it after all this anyway." It had already served its purpose. Though she knew Shalnark would be annoyed about this later, she could deal with that bridge when she came across it. "And... you didn't find anything at all?"

His eyes crinkled apologetically as he exhaled a breath. "I couldn't find your rock either."

Rein simply nodded. She had expected to feel something for its loss, her lucky rock she'd always fumbled with to calm her nerves. It had been with her for the majority of her remembered life, almost a comfort blanket or a teddy bear she'd once thought she would need forever. But she didn't have any urge to reach for it now, no reason she made an excuse to twirl it around expertly at her fingertips. She hadn't felt that particular need for a while, actually, not even during the past few days.

"You know what?" Rein raised her eyes, smile easy and loose. "I don't think I need it anymore."

"Really?"

"Really."

The two boys helped her out, and she was greeted by Lucky, Zushi and Kalluto behind him. "Let's go rehabilitate you," Lucky said. "Most of the grown ups left to go get supplies in the closest town, and they won't be back until dark. You can try to rebuild on your strength during then."

"Aren't you an adult?" Killua raised an eyebrow. "If you aren't, then your height is freaky."

"I said _most_ of the grown ups." Lucky's head gazed off to the side. "I didn't go, but neither did Emo Loser. He locked himself in his room a little over an hour ago, and has been weirdly hostile since."

While some of them commented on the fact that it was by a miracle Lucky hadn't been killed using the blatantly rude nicknames he did, Rein broke free from their arms and walked by herself towards the Spider's room, trying to keep upright as she did so. She knocked. "Fei? If you want to come, we're going to-"

"Don't come in and don't bother me," he answered, a rough edge to his voice showing that he meant it. It must have been indicated in her breath that she was about to argue, because he raised his voice and ordered: "All you get out. I stay alone. Go."

Rein let out an exasperated sigh, and nodded to let Killua and Gon know they could move on now, who had come to her sides to act as crutches once more. She would have to make up to them for it later. "Love you too, Fei," she called as they all started to do just as he said, purposely phrasing her words in such a way to tick him off in his already annoyed mood.

(Something was off. Something was so terribly off about him, but she concluded she was only overthinking.) Rein, feeling lighter than ever, managed to blow her first teasing raspberry at the firmly closed door in what felt like years.

"See ya," Gon chimed after her.

Feeling a need to pitch in, Lucky took advantage of the locked door situation to say, "Later, Emo Loser," before dashing out.

"Goodbye, Feitan-san!" Zushi shouted from the entrance before easing the thick wooden doors of the lodge firmly shut.

Slowly, their chattering died away as they walked off into the distance, leaving the large lodge far behind. Once his sharp ears strained and could hear absolutely nothing—neither his students, their friends, or any other Spiders nearby—he shifted from his position on the couch which he'd hidden behind lest one of the kids had broken the door down. But all according to his hasty planning, he was left alone at the lodge, at least believed to be the only one there in the minds of the others.

"They gone. Get out," he growled.

Slowly, the figure emerged from the other end of the couch, flicking his chains tight so as not to let Feitan escape as he did so. His long blond locks did little to hide his burning eyes, a small light glowing brighter than the sun through the curtained windows, or how the lamp had been before it had been smashed against the wall during their struggle.

"Shall we resume?" Kurapika carried on. His words were polite, but his tone seethed with restrained hatred.

(And even with that restraint, with those purposely dimmed eyes he _knew_ could burn brighter and better, Feitan had already lost.)

He raised his head, holding up his pride. "Jiéshù tā."

* * *

"Where are the other Spiders?"

"Away," Feitan answered through his teeth, "away from you."

The chain user tilted his head at this answer, but accepted it for now. "I see. And what are their weaknesses?" When Feitan hesitated, Kurapika punched. It wasn't anything special; it wasn't advanced to one hundred percent and it wasn't filled with the amount of malice it should have been. But without his aura, it _hurt_ , simple pain he always thought he would be too strong to feel. _"What_ are their weaknesses?"

"Qù sǐ ba," Feitan spat at him, and in simpler terms, he stated, "Die."

Already, Feitan knew how this would end. He'd prepared for this when Lucky had first been shot at when they'd arrived at the lodge, he'd gotten ready, at least he'd thought so. He'd prepared himself mentally and his Nen physically for this outcome, even leaving for three days to do so, but it was so much more different when the trial loomed over his head and he was left helpless to do anything about it, when he should have been powerful but he wasn't.

Kurapika's eyes brought on a new, powerful glint, burning with meaning, of subconscious emotions instead of will. The chains suddenly tightened around his body, bruising him black where metal links pinched his milky skin together. "Tell me where they are, at least." His fist clenched, and Feitan knew that this was from his own reaction, not for show. "I'll allow you to live for a bit longer if you do."

Feitan kept his eyes on the fist and forced his lips to pull back into a snarl. His body throbbed from when the Kurta had assaulted him first. He'd gotten entangled in his In-coated chains when he'd let down his guard once he heard the other Spiders leave, and realized the younger ones were still in the lodge. He, _he_ of all people understood it was over for him. But he knew his place as a Spider, as a part of something bigger.

The last thing he wanted to do was draw things out and get in the way if he was still alive when the others came back. He would tell them to attack regardless of if the chain user threatened to kill him or not, and they would not listen. He knew they wouldn't listen for their own stupid, pathetic reasons. It was up to him whether he would become a liability or not, and he was determined not to be one.

He forced himself to scoff as he raked his brain for a plausible connecting link. "My life, others' life. Why I care about that?"

Kurapika blazed, vision flashing. "You _bastard,"_ he seethed. "You have no regard for life at all?"

It was when he tried to straighten that it occurred to him how low he was, how bent and stooped over his figure appeared in comparison to his. "I am on top. Why should I care for dirt on bottom?"

Feitan was one of the stronger Spiders. He wasn't pure brawn like Uvogin and he wasn't dedicated to building it up, like Phinks. He had a small frame, and there was only so much muscle he could carry on his bones. Because of his physical disadvantage, he worked on improving his speed, endurance, and his aura. As a product of that, he flourished into a powerful user of Nen and was finally able to become what he'd always wanted to be; strong. He joined the Phantom Troupe with the promise of doing as he pleased, where he could break rules and have the ability to go unpunished for it.

Just as he'd stated, Fei was on top, as he'd striven to be in a city of trash and broken glass. But without his aura that he worked so hard to polish, without his Nen that he owed his entire being to, he was just... himself. He wasn't built on brawn.

So when Kurapika punched with his enhanced fist, Feitan snapped like a brittle twig.

He tried to hold it in, but a cough escaped him nevertheless, and with it came blood. His foot caught ground barely in time, allowing his reeling figure to stay standing. He didn't have any time to recover and feel for what damage had been done before the second punch came with a grinding twist. He heard his bones break inside of him before he registered the pain.

Try as he might, he couldn't help but fall hard onto one knee, every breath he took sticking bone into flesh. The chains shifted, suffocating him further.

"Perhaps a simpler question will do." There were dark red splatters on Kurapika's face as he turned ever so slightly so as not to look at the state his opponent was in. "Where are the children?"

His lungs failed to draw in air.

His tone was softer. "As your last wish, your comrades left. Perhaps you wanted to die alone, but I did want to fight one-on-one, so it was a... convenient circumstance. And? Do you... know where the children have gone? I'd like to have a talk with-"

"Don't t-tou..." Feitan struggled to force out universal words, then gave it up altogether, allowing his natural self to boom and speak. "Bùyào pèng tāmen," he muttered, and looked up, spitting out the sentence as if it were a curse. "Bùyào pèng tāmen."

Kurapika believed his tone, this conjured hostility shoved into his voice to make it seem like something it wasn't. His features showed it plain as day even in the darkened room, and as he took a step forward, his slippers crunched on the broken glass from the lamp they'd shattered.

Feitan barely heard the crackling of the chain shooting forward, and the blade searing through his chest was numbing and calm.

"One last chance," Kurapika said.

Throughout this whole ordeal, his eyes had burned as flickering embers and revived flames, but they'd never once made true contact with Feitan's own, as if afraid to look who he was killing in the eye; fully conscious and yet not quite willing to accept the reality. It wasn't the same feeling he'd experienced when fighting Uvogin, and he had an inkling of a reason lingering in himself as to why that was. He understood this loss of Feitan, this thief and murderer, would _mean_ something to someone he knew.

Both parties involved were painfully aware of his hesitation and the cause behind it.

His throat was dry, and he somehow willed himself to swallow. "One last chance," he repeated. "Break the rule I set, and the blade poised around your heart will kill you. There are many questions I've asked you, but I will settle with one." He pulled on the chain, trying to relieve how his fist cramped with tension. "What are the other Spiders' weaknesses?"

Feitan felt no anger.

It was strange, really, how the heat that had fueled him from as long back as he could remember suddenly cooled now. The chain user had chosen his question carefully. It was evident he'd wanted to ask where the children were, as it had been his question before last. But that would be of no use to him in the future. If he inquired of information pertaining to the members of the Phantom Troupe, at least he would have the sure chance of reuniting with them sooner or later. 

But of course, Feitan could not answer this last question, and he growled a simple "Die" to make him aware of it.

(The chain user had managed to stay rational. Feitan had not.)

As the chain moved, bit by bit and ticking away in a quick and steady march from the ends of Kurapika's fingertips to his chest, Feitan had an epiphany of why Rein always said what stupid things she did.

That phrase.

It meant that when she or any of his other students insisted on showing off skills they'd acquired, he would watch even if he grumbled as he did so. It meant that when one of them messed up, he would harshly complain about it, but correct their errors so it wouldn't trouble him again. Maybe it implied he had some sort of bond, and his actions wouldn't be able to deny it completely.

For others, like Phinks, he would team up to fight, and they would know each other's movements down to every breath to keep the worst from happening. That sometimes, though Feitan was on top of the world and the king of the castle, he might consider letting his partner stand up there with him to look at the view. It meant he didn't mind being a _part_ of a group, not the entirety of it or its center.

It meant that even if this was akin to admitting defeat to a man he despised, even if he was an insult to the Phantom Troupe, even if he was scared—he wasn't scared, at least he thought so, but he had a strange feeling, a peculiar one that knotted his nerves and kept poison boiling at his throat... but he was fine, he would be—he would cover for them.

He would die, not for the Phantom Troupe, but his own. It meant he'd gone irrational and stupid and soft, and he _hated_ that, but they were _his_ troupe now, which meant he would take responsibility and protect them.

He let out a rare chuckle when the blade pierced his heart, and warm, tangy, iron blood dribbled newly down his chin. 

So this, he thought as his lips went pale and his body crashed against the ground, this was what it entailed, this pathetic "love you too" nonsense.

What a pain.  
  


He'd rather not go through it again.

* * *

They found Feitan's door unlocked. It was puzzling, really, but after shouting from the entrance a few times, they determined it was safe to go in farther and entered.

"Feitan," Rein called, hobbling by on her own without help from anyone else. Her recovery for her walking, at least, had progressed far faster than anyone had expected. In a joke, she added, "Come out, we have cake—" Her eyes caught on the lower half on his body sticking out from behind the furniture, and in the eternity she experienced, he did not move.

"F...Fei...?" Her voice died in her chest, only coming out a whisper.

She pushed herself forward. Realizing what was happening, the others crowded around her to look at his body. Rein tapped his shoulder and called out his name, called out multiple times and tapped harder and harder until she was shaking his shoulders. Giving up on getting a response, she lifted him up to try and feel for a pulse. His arm rolled off of him and fell limp to the ground, twisted and bent in a way that could not have been natural.

Zushi reached out to lift up his sleeve slowly, immediately dropping it when inflammation and bruises came into view, alerting them of a broken arm.

"You..." Gon was speaking. "You don't think it was because of..."

"It probably is," interjected Killua, his eyes on the body. "It probably is."

A resigned whimper seeped through her lips as she tried to keep it all in, but the details flooded her and threatened to push all of her emotions out; Splatters of thick red lining the cracks in the wood, the shards of glass by the wall, the offset furniture and his cold body at the center of it all. Stars, she wished she were dead or asleep, that she had no way to know whether this was true, to be blind and oblivious and be blessed with the knowledge of nothing at all. 

But it was there.

Stars, it was all there.

A footstep echoed through the room, and they all whipped their heads back towards it.

"I know he was a central figure in your life as of late." Kurapika was not mourning the loss of a Spider, not apologizing for killing a Phantom Troupe member. He was admitting to the murder of someone she valued, but not of Feitan Portor. "And I'm sorry for that. I know it's just a mere excuse, but I did allow him the choice of staying alive until you all came back. He refused."

Her gaze locked on Kurapika, on the chain user and the links of steel dangling from rings on his fingers. She rose, and Feitan's body, which had been resting as a limp weight in her hands, fell with a deep thud to the floor. "You," Rein growled, and shifted her feet as she struggled to approach him. Her vision blurred and the world swayed nauseatingly beneath her, but her eyes fixed straight ahead. _"You_ did this."

Unable to deny it, he inclined his head ever so slightly. "I am sorry for your loss."

"My loss, my loss," she echoed after him. In a quick blink, her eyes raged scarlet, and large dollops of tears streaked sideways on her cheeks as she leapt forward with all the energy she had left. _"You_ did this!" Rein screamed. "You _did-!"_

"Red, no!" Lucky caught her arm and tried to hold her back, but in blind anger she pushed him to the ground, trying to get through to the Chain User. "Rein, stop!" The others came at her, attempting to have her stand down, and she heard the splintering of her own ribs as she struggled against them, where the fractures had started to heal but not quite. She didn't know why they were trying to stop her, why they were doing such a thing. She clenched her teeth together and hit them out of the way as best she could, scrambling towards Kurapika with the intent to kill evident in her eyes. Her bandages came loose and fell to the ground, leaving her old burns bare, and they caught on sharp zippers and buttons as she fought back against her own, cutting into her tender pink scars.

"Rein, _Rein!"_ They tried to talk to her, rationalize with the girl as they bit their own tongues to keep from crying. In this situation, in her still fragile condition, Rein would only hurt herself, and against Kurapika, who they'd all heard of at some point the story of having beaten the strongest Spider, there was no way they could win. "Rein, you'll _die_ , stop!" They tried to get her to calm down as much as they hated those bitter words leaving their own lips, but she was having none of it.

At her livid look and the pure hostility she showed towards him, Kurapika took a step back. "Aira?" He glanced off to the side at Gon and Killua, who were standing tense but taking neither side, yet ready to interfere should either party get too far.

"Why," she said through shut teeth, and her eyes shone bright just as she was sick of them doing. "Why did you kill him?" She yelled, infuriated, devastated, unsure. Her voice cracked, and horribly so as some of her own blood dripped to the ground from reopening wounds, and a bit was at the corner of her lips. "Oi, _Kurapika!"_

Her heart lurched, and she froze.

Rein slowly lowered her eyes to see a chain once again visible in her chest, and writhing with the one already planted there.

"Don't attack me." Kurapika stated his rule plainly, knowing this was the only way he could stop her now. "Please, you're bleeding again. You're irrational right now, so if we're to settle matters it must be-"

 _"Irrational?"_ She wanted to cry and curse and laugh and punch his guts out, but as soon as she took a step, the others stood in her way with newfound determination since the possibility she would die was startlingly eminent. "And why? Why am I like this? You know it's your fault, it's your fault, it's your _fault,_ it's all your fault this all happened!" Her voice was hoarse. "It's all..."

Feitan's body lay silent and pale on the ground behind her as her head whirled, and she fell mute.

"Lucky, was it?" Kurapika saw him visibly seize up when his name was called, and he bowed. "I apologize for the selfish actions of my former employer. He attempted to get your jewels and Nen by force for the materialistic goal of money. I..." His eyes, a red no more, looked at Rein in her mournful state before biting his lower lip and turning his head to the side. It was inevitable, but it must have hurt for her, even if she'd only been manipulated by them. He continued. "Rest assured, I won't try my hand at such methods. I will find a way to extract your Nen peacefully for the restoration of the Kurta Clan."

"Restoration?" Lucky repeated quietly, unable to connect together what exactly this meant before it was too late. "Wait, no, the repercussions of that will be-!" But Kurapika had already left.

They were left behind, students with the corpse of their trainer. But he'd been more than that.

_Anything but this._

She despised her own Scarlet Eyes, how they connected her to the chain user and tingled when they shone an unearthly color. Her throat hurt and her chest ached a different pang than from straining her old injuries; all around her and inside of her she felt a silent, throbbing pain that wouldn't go away as tears plopped into her clothes, staining them darker than her own blood.

But she forced herself to stand it, made the tears come forth and willed her eyes to burn in the sockets of her skull in hopes that a time loop would start. She didn't care if it hurt, if she would be left alone once more to face these matters on her own. It scared her half to death, but she wished with all her chained heart that it would happen, that she would just be able to get a single chance to save Feitan.

And yet, no matter how she tried, her Specialist Nen was gone, and time did not turn back its unfeeling hands.

"Come on, come on!" Rein hit her fist against something, she wasn't sure whether it was one of their chests as they held her, or if it was the hard wall, but as nothing happened, she sank to the ground. She sobbed and screamed, and an arm fell around her shoulders, but she couldn't tell who it was. She only knew that they were shaking as well.

_Not again, please._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chinese (once again I don't speak any, so correct me if I'm super wrong):
> 
> Jiéshù tā: Get it over with/ End it  
> Qù sǐ ba: Die (literally 'go to die', so the closest English rendition that would make sense is "go to hell". Asked a Chinese friend about this.)  
> Bùyào pèng tāmen: Don't touch them
> 
> (OOC-)


	68. Scarlet Nocturne: War

"Killua, what do we do about this?" Gon leaned back on the heels of his palms.

Killua scoffed, bringing his hands together. "You sound so carefree when you say that, even though everything we wanted seems impossible now. Kurapika's only killing more and more." There was no need to strain his ears to hear the sounds of mourning behind thick walls. The Spiders were thieves and despicable murderers, but neither of them had wished death for them, not for Kurapika's hands to become further stained.

"Everyone," Gon spoke after a while, "is really sad, aren't they?"

The Zoldyck agreed wholeheartedly with that blatant statement, but he didn't voice it. "Pick a side," he stated, though there wasn't meaning behind his words. He wanted to support his friend, he did. But his methods, his line of thinking, he wanted anything but the pointless responsibility of revenge to be pushed onto Kurapika, a person who deserved better than the path he was pursuing.

His breath was quiet. "I can't pick both?"

Without calling him an idiot or flicking his exposed forehead, Killua merely shook his head side to side, swaying. "Nah."

Their thoughts were in sync, but neither could bring it out to discuss it as they sat on the porch in the quiet, less than an hour since Kurapika had left them all. Unable to or perhaps not qualified to feel as much as the others did, Gon and Killua had stepped outside, softly gritting their teeth and unsure as to what action was appropriate, what they should do.

"Kurapika shouldn't kill, end of that," Gon announced, crossing his arms and plopping his entire body onto the floor.

Killua sighed, and copied him in laying down. "We tried to convince him of that already, and how did that turn out? I can only think of one thing that has the highest chance of working, one way, but..." He trailed off, knowing that Rein, now, would never agree to any peaceful methods that would calm Kurapika rather than hurt him.

Light footsteps came up behind them. "You might want to convince him quicker," Lucky said. There was a wet darkness rimming his eyes and he crouched beside the two, his body free relaxed except for his balling fist. "The Phantom Troupe, they... killed the Kurta clan? Well, of course they did, I knew it, somewhere inside. I just didn't... try to think..." His voice became tight, and he ran his fingers back through his mussed raven hair. "I've caused a lot of deaths with my Nen, though I didn't mean to. I don't know whether that means I can judge his actions or not, but..." He went quiet, and his words cracked. "I just didn't want him to die."

"On terms of _wanting_ that, I don't think anyone did. No one. Kurapika only did it because he felt like he had to." Killua tilted his head back, ivory locks falling gently away from his forehead as he tried to look at Lucky. His eyes narrowed. "There's something else, isn't there?"

"Before he left, he talked to me."

"Ah, that stuff about drawing out the effects of your Nen peacefully or whatever? Don't worry, he's not one to lie. Your Nen has the possibility of breaking his chains, so it'll only be detrimental to him if he tries something stupid. You'll be fine."

"No, not-" His tone caught sharp, and Lucky had to swallow to calm himself down. "He said he was going to restore the Kurta Clan if he got my Nen."

"That's good for him," Gon spoke up.

"No, it's not. Remember? Equal exchange. If he gets back a hundred or so people he loved, then who disappears?" He looked the two in the eyes as they sat up, and spoke slowly. "Everyone he's close to now, and a bunch of random strangers to make up for the rest. Most likely more to balance out the factor of not knowing them personally. If he goes through with this... so many people are going to die."

Killua sighed in understanding, and lifted his head towards the sky. "Including us."

There was a heavy silence for a while as they all sat outside. Kalluto came out with the fabric of his sleeves tightly bunched up in his hands, knuckles pale and his head lowered as to cover his expression. But even then, he could not hide his bottom lip, bitten raw. Zushi came out not minutes later and joined them on the porch, lacking his normal enthusiasm. When he sat down, they could see that foreign blood had seeped into the tips of his white uniform, and he raised his head to the clouds as he clamped down on his tongue and added to their quietude.

The sun had passed from noon to past the treetops Rein finally came out, feet slightly dragging behind her as she walked towards them. Her wounds from fighting against their blockade and reinflicted injuries lay bare, all ideas of medical treatment towards herself thrown aside.

They looked to her, unable to speak.

Rein's gaze was pointed emptily at the ground. "He's going to pay," she said simply, her words airy and light. Her words held no direction, no motive. "That Chain User..." She slid herself limply to the floor, eyes a dark void barely outlined with a faint red; a waning light. Her expression was slack. "He's going to pay."

* * *

"If he's anywhere by now, he's most likely in the area where I was taken to be killed." Lucky drew a circle on the map as best he could to indicate the possibilities, hand shaking ever so slightly. "He mentioned something about a former boss, meaning that person who brought me there to kill me isn't in charge anymore. But whatever headquarters he had, there's a high chance that the chain user is still there, and that it's nearby in that vicinity." He stuck a pen behind his ear in deep thought. "If he still has that force of Nen-users, it might be tricky."

"They won't be around," Gon asserted simply. "Kurapika likes fighting on his own. He won't have a bunch of people he doesn't even know help him."

"So it's just us against him." Rein sat with an ice pack to her chest, her arm extended while Kalluto wrapped bandages firmly around her new injuries. Some of the color had returned to her, and her eyes held meaning when she looked to Gon and Killua. "I won't ask you to fight." She knew they would refuse if she did.

Kalluto knotted his last bandage into place and leaned back, arms crossed. He'd respected Feitan as a mentor, a teacher, but not only that. As someone close to him, a guardian of sorts, as a figure in his life he should have avenged, someone he should have felt comfortable killing for. But... "I won't fight." Kalluto turned his head to his older brother. "You want him alive, right?"

"Yeah."

Throat tight with guilt, Kalluto made his decision. As a Spider, he should have taken a different path. But first and foremost, he was a Zoldyck who could not make his elder siblings unhappy. Various scenarios had run through his mind, so violent and bloody that he had to force himself to tame his own thoughts as to what he would do to Kurapika when he saw him, perhaps a light gash with his storm of paper rain and nothing else. But he knew himself. Once blood was shed, all else would blur to him as he brought on the full strength of Dance of the Serpent's Bite, and he wouldn't be able to stop until after the job was finished.

It was a bad habit of his, torturing his prey and unable to see his victims as anything other than that until they were ripped to pieces. If he got in one hit, his assassin instincts would consume him and it would become a fight to the death. His loyalty to his brother came first, and as such, he couldn't let himself loose.

(It also frightened him, to a degree. Feitan, who had been so strong, who had made Kalluto feel helpless at becoming the best of the Phantom Troupe by showing him how utterly inferior he was... defeated.)

"There's all this talk about fighting, but I hope you haven't forgotten that our intention is just to go to wherever he is and convince him to take the chain restrictions off your heart." Lucky took the pen from behind his ear and pointed it at Rein when she tried to argue. "I mean it. In your condition, you'll only get more hurt. Think about yourself sometimes."

Rein resisted the temptation to deny this, knowing it wouldn't get her anywhere. "You too. If things start to look bad, bail and go to a place where Kura... that Chain User can't reach you." She glanced around at their young group. "With my chains, your targeted Nen, other connections, the only person who can fight is Zushi."

The boy stiffened.

"There's no pressure. Like Lucky said, the goal is to get the restrictions off my heart." She wanted to spit out bitterly that that was the deal on the outside, a Trojan horse that would let all her angered and negative emotions unexpectedly spill out as soon as she was able, but she refrained. "You don't have to come."

His words came quick, so simple yet not quite believable. "But Feitan-san was killed." His teeth clenched as he gave a slow nod and left it at that.

"Rein," Killua raised his voice, "you make it sound as if only we're going. The rest of the adults are out in town right now, but they should come back in an hour or so." Killua shrugged. "I mean if you're worried about anyone getting attacked and having to take things to the next level, the Spiders would be a lot more useful and trustworthy than us two."

Rein bared her teeth in sudden hostility, hot to the core. "I am _not_ ," she hissed, "letting you use them as _bait_."

While Gon only nodded, Killua sucked in a breath and remembered what his friend had said the first day they'd met at the lodge, why they would be alright in working with members of the Phantom Troupe. "Bait, huh."

Lucky cut in and pointed to the map, tracing his finger across a winding line. "There's a mansion here, led to by a road hard to access. The end of it is around where I was dropped off, and where I escaped."

"Then we know where we're going." Before anyone could react, she strolled over to the large doors and pushed them wide open with the full intention of walking out.

"Hey, hey!" Killua stood abruptly, and she looked back at him. "You're really sure about this? The only plan you have is a peaceful one, and even then you're set on beating Kurapika to bits, aren't you? I'm saying this for your sake. Stop it. It's a horrible idea."

She didn't reply to this argument and instead lowered her voice, determination acting as the pillars of steel holding together what otherwise would have broken down. "This," she said, turning back, "is war."

Feeling weight at her words, the others shuffled out behind her, not quite sure what would be ahead, yet a feeling of wariness deeply pitted in their stomachs all the same. One by one they got up and followed Rein, who knew the path to where Lucky had been by heart. They would go there, find the building where Kurapika was, and the things that followed would be what was fated to occur.

Zushi was the last to leave, shutting the thick doors with a thud that triggered his memory. They'd all left like this; Zushi had closed the door, and they'd gone off to rehabilitate Rein with no idea as to what horrible event could have happened while they were gone.

Only a few hours before.

The click of the lock catching vibrated through his entire being and sent a shiver down his spine.

Zushi took a few steps out before turning around curtly, and bowed deeply with his hands at his sides. "Thank you, Feitan-san," he stated respectfully at the building, quiet so as not to let the others hear. As time silently ticked away, his fingers dug into the sides of his pants, and his breath shook. "Feitan-san, I really appreciated getting to know you. Feitan-sa—!"

His sentence cut off as a teardrop fell to the ground.

The boy bit on his lip, but he couldn't stop them from trembling, and he struggled to keep his composure, to be strong for everyone's sake like the Spider had taught him to be. But he couldn't keep it up. The rigidness in his figure left him as he bent over and made a small, meek cry.

"Feitan..."

* * *

They traveled as fast as their legs could carry them, as fast as Rein's weakened form could keep up. She shut her eyes at any dark splotches in the dirt as they passed, and they steered her clear of the waterfall as they made their way to where Kurapika most likely was residing. They sprinted through the forest, hesitated as Lucky attempted to pinpoint where he'd been and which way he'd been led before he escaped, and carefully but swiftly made their way up a narrow, rocky path, praying Lucky's Nen wouldn't act up and send them all tumbling down the steep mountainside. All too soon, they were met with the sight of a large mansion, imposing iron gates separating them from the pathway winding up to a grand building of carved white marble, adorned with towers and story-high windows. 

Every pulse of her blood burst in her ears. Rein held out a hand and pushed through the locked iron gates with a loud screech and a clang, the bars bent and warped from where her aura had made contact with it.

No one else around, no hidden forces deployed, she determined that it was indeed only Kurapika they were up against and stepped onto the grounds. 

"Come out," she muttered under her breath as they approached the mansion. The faraway door grew closer before her eyes, gold accents shining so brightly it reminded her of his hair. "Come out," she growled, impatient. They'd arrived at the entrance before she knew it, and though she thought she'd been gentle, the doors slammed open nonetheless. "Come _out_ already!" she shouted.

"I heard you." He emerged from the top of the staircase. "I heard you ever since you ripped through the gates."

Her blood went hot at how casual his tone was. "Then why didn't you come out earlier?"

"It..." 

His voice was soft, soft and quiet and gentle and kind and all too _wrong_. 

"It felt wrong," Kurapika said slowly, and her eyes widened when he'd used to same word, "to me."

She despised him. 

"Kurapika," Killua spoke when she didn't reply. He shoved his hands into his pockets. "Rein is here to get the chains on her heart removed." His words were pointed, deliberate, a hidden message to her to take matters no further.

"You'll listen to her, right?" Gon piped up. "Rein seems to be scared of them, and we don't want her to die, right?"

"Oh, I'd forgotten." Kurapika started to descend the stairs, his hand running down the railing before he reconsidered and brought his arms behind him in a respectful manner, though he would have to reach out later to withdraw his Nen chains anyway. It was clear that he was bothered, offset, but Rein didn't care. His suit was neat and clean, and his black shoes clicked lightly on the floor when he reached the bottom of the staircase. It wasn't his traditional garments like how it had been before, and though she knew she was mistaken, in her hate she couldn't help but wonder whether he was getting dressed up just to exterminate the Spiders.

He approached her, dull grey eyes meeting with a pair barely able to keep holding onto an agitated brown.

There was no way he could have missed it, how her eyes were moist and lined with red, how her fist was tightened to such a degree that her entire arm nearly shook from the tension. But even so, he raised his hand, and a taut line of aura formed from his ring to her chest. It crackled as he slowly pulled it back, links clinking together as the small blade at its end flicked into the air.

And with that, a single chain was withdrawn from her heart.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Me: I should be nice to Rein  
> Also me: So first she's going to have horrible burns and fall off a cliff, almost drown, and then she'll have a fever, have nightmares, lose her Specialist Nen, and just when she starts getting happy, we're going to make circumstances anything but. Let's also add 'danger of dying' to the list to top it all off.


	69. Scarlet Nocturne: Lie

Her heart felt lighter, so much lighter, but it was still chained and caged, slightly relieved but not nearly as close to being free as it should have been. Realizing this, Rein glared at him with a newfound intensity, prompting Kurapika to explain himself.

"I took off the restriction I left on you during our time at Yorknew," he swiftly stated. "I'd forgotten it was still placed around your heart."

"No," she seethed. "Both chains. Take them both."

There was a fleeting hesitation on his face, and for a brief moment she allowed herself the fantasy of believing he would listen. A slight inclination of the head convinced her otherwise. "I can't do that."

Her fist flew forward before she could even comprehend it, but a swift hand stopped her wrist. Killua's grip tightened as electricity set her hair on edge, a warning to calm down and not be rash; to not die. They'd avoided it just in time to keep the chain from acting, and only because he was so quick. If it had been anyone else or if he'd been just a tad farther, it may have been too late for Kurapika to call back his chain before it pierced her heart. Right. She had to control herself.

"And why not?"

Stars, her words hurt to force out, restrained power quivering at the back of her throat.

He opened his mouth and closed it again.

"Because you'll attack."

"Attack who?"

Kurapika hesitated once more, and his head turned to the side. "...me."

"So? What? You're careful? Afraid?" Unwilling to let him answer, her voice rose volumes and shut him out completely. "Afraid, are you? Afraid I'll be able to beat you, like Fei, like Uvo, like Paku— _stars,_ you only kill the people you're afraid of because... because...!" She didn't know why, but Rein loathed every word dripping from her mouth.

"You don't understand. I can't fight you. I will not fight you. And..." He raised his eyes. "I kill for vengeance. I have a solid reason to do what... what I did."

"You..." Her argument was weak. Nen chains painfully present in her chest, she broke eye contact. Her voice was quiet, whimpering, on the edge of breaking. "...but you..."

"Lucky." Folding his hands behind his back respectfully, Kurapika turned.

Lucky had been silent until now, his fingers gripping Zushi and Kalluto's shoulders tightly to warn them to do the same. There was much turmoil in them over what part of them had been lost, but they stood still and quiet, telling themselves that this was Rein's battle. And in it, they would not interfere. Throat dry and eyes suddenly dehydrated, he gave a small nod to indicate he'd heard him.

"You must have come along because you've prepared for your collaboration with me. It is for the best, after all."

"What?"

"Your Nen." Kurapika appeared surprised that he'd been wrong. "Didn't you come along for that purpose? I wanted to study your Nen and how to best use it in it's docile state to ensure we both remain safe during the process. If I'm not mistaken, there are certain conditions that apply, but once you've moved past that, your Nen will be capable of bringing back my... the Kurta Clan," he instantly replaced. "Won't you cooperate? I see no downsides-"

Lucky couldn't bite down his words anymore. He never got angry, only sarcastic or bitter at most. When his aura threw his chance at a normal life out the window, when he got caught up in criminal activity, when he'd been attacked and kidnapped and beaten around like he was a mere object, he had never felt anger. But now, hostility lined every breath he exhaled. "You only think of yourself, don't you."

His jaw stiffened. "Pardon?"

"I'm just here as support. I'm here for Rein. Not for you." His voice was of steel. "I come here and you apologize to one person. You assume that everyone else is fine. But I... _I_ was close to him too, you know. I'm not just going to warm up to you like that. Don't think you're the center of everything."

"I see." There was a silent pause, but then Kurapika's head shifted the slightest bit. "But do you have any idea," he started, and a storm was inside of him, of repressed emotions coming up to the brim as his chest swelled with pure hate. "Do you have _any_ idea what he's done?"

And for a while, no one could speak.

Zushi hadn't uttered a word since they'd left Feitan behind, but he was the first to break the silence. "I don't agree with anything he did." Nothing had changed about his tone. He still sounded as child-like and formal as he always did, but somehow... "He did bad things, but we still loved him." He looked up. "We still-"

"Then why do you support him? If you all know what he's done, what they've all _done_ , then why are you so desperate to defend them?" Kurapika looked straight at Rein. "Do you not care? Do you not know?"

Rein was taken aback. "It-It's not-"

She didn't want to know.

"The Phantom Troupe has taken everything from me. My friends, my entire community, my family. I left and when I came back they were all just lying there and they were _dead_." He choked out his words, and they were laden with pain. "The village was torn to shreds and everyone I'd ever known was..." His fist trembled, shook, with raw fury. "There was so much blood."

No.

"All their eyes stolen from their bodies—" His constricted words entered as whirling static into her ears that she didn't want to be able to understand.

She didn't want to hear.

"And just when I was on the verge of getting revenge for everyone I used to know, I saw they spared one single person." His eyes with that familiar tint sent a strangling shiver down her spine. "You've been through horrible things, haven't you? They've put you through so much. I believed I was the only one left and you... you don't even remember everything. You've been forced to forget, Aira, all because of them, you can't remember how happy you used to be, you can't remember-"

"No, I-" She didn't want to remember.

There was nothing she could possibly say to counter this. She'd known this truth for some time, but she'd never really accepted what that reality could mean, what could happen because of it; and now it was far too late.

"I am happy." She was, right? "I _was."_ Right, she wasn't any more. Not since Kurapika entered her life and had messed everything up. This Chain User. This Kurta. "I _can't_ let you hurt anyone else close to me."

"Aira, you don't love them."

The words stabbed at her heart.

"They don't love you. They're murdered with no regard for human life and don't bat an eye at the blood their own hands shed. They kidnapped you, and you forgot everything. It isn't love you've experienced. It can't be close to it. People who killed my family, people like that, they can't _possibly_ -" His fist tightened and his knuckles turned white, shadowed by his chains. "They can't possibly..."

As much as loathing and hate boiled inside of her at his words, a twinge of her stalled, knowing exactly how he felt. And it sickened her; Rein tried to convince herself that this empathy made her want to puke. But that would be pretending, and somehow the thought of forcing herself to be fake made her more nauseous than anything.

* * *

Phinks dropped the box he was holding.

"O-oi, Fei."

In an instant, he was at his side, knees falling heavy to the ground. "O-oi, Fei, wake up." Phinks took his shoulders, frail and slender in his strong hands. He tried to shake him awake, but it was becoming alarmingly clear that he was without a pulse. "Wake up Fei. You gotta." His skin was blue and white and bruised. "You gotta wake up, there's still that whole training thing you have to do, and Danchou's still AWOL, and we gotta send that bastard chain user right to-"

When Phinks tried to pick Feitan up, his entire body drooped to the side, fighting his touch with a stiffening cold.

"It's too late." Machi came up beside him. Her eyes traced the remnants of the fight; scuffed furniture, splatters of blood, shards of glass and torn curtains. It was rare for such a scene to even exist around the Spiders; they did their business so skillfully that unless they wanted to send up smoke and flames to be gaudy, there was never any trace of their fight left over. And such a scene never meant that they'd been on the losing side.

The Spiders were strong. She had surrounded herself with strong people with the conviction that they could not die, that they would not die and leave her alone like so many others had done. Chrollo had assured her of it, with an outstretched hand and soulful eyes she still trusted in to this day. But borrowing his words, unexpected events could overtake anyone. And putting her entire self into believing in him, she had built herself into something worthy of the Phantom Troupe to dominate any unexpected events that could possibly come her way, so she wouldn't have to worry.

And yet, in spite of that— _a deep ravine, an arrogant giant, the sound of rapid gunshots and a soft thud_ —there had been so many she hadn't been able to save.

She looked at Phinks, clutching a body that should never have been. Machi averted her eyes.

"I can't fix him."

Nen zipped between her fingers, useless.

"I can't."

Foul curses left Phinks' mouth. His grip tightened on the body and angered strength flowed through him, but when he finally lowered Feitan to the ground, it was with an uncharacteristic gentleness. Setting him down softly, Phinks got up and walked a few steps to the wall before he punched it in, wood cracking and flying everywhere. _"God,_ Fei, you... gotta just wake-" He didn't finish his sentence. Phinks sank into a crouch, his shoulders shaking.

Zepile was the last adult to enter, yet the first to access and accept the situation for what it was. His question was simple, yet the hardest to ask.

"Kurapika?"

"Ah." Phinks rubbed roughly at his face and ran his hands back through his hair. "You bet."

"This is all my fault." Zepile spoke in a mumble at first, but the idea cemented itself in his mind. "This is my-"

"Geez, both you and Zushi with your pathetic blaming games. Just stop it. It doesn't help."

"No, I-I..." He gulped. "I used to work for him. I quit a while back, but I was supposed to tell him of your movements so he could be informed. I-I didn't think about wha-what he could have done in retaliation-"

Phinks stood. He growled, "You _what."_

Under his intense glare, Zepile withered. "I-"

Phinks shot out his arm and grasped the fabric of his loose collar, twisting it hard as he yanked him forward. "Spit it out," he threatened, breath hot and dangerously quiet. "Tell us everything you know before I rip your lies from your throat."

He was truly terrifying when he angered, and Zepile didn't deal well with this. But he knew he was partly to blame here, for it was because of him Kurapika had known where they even were in the first place. "I knew he hated you, but I never imagined that this could happen. I thought... I just wanted the money at first. But then I saw everything and started to think for myself and I even have a kid now and-" He gulped for air, his windpipe slowly constricting as the Spider gripped his collar tighter. "I quit. I quit a few days back and shut off my phone, but he didn't tell me he would go to much measures." His face started to redden, but he didn't dare bring his hands anywhere near his neck, or even fight back. This was what he got.

"Phinks," said Machi. "Calm down."

"Calm down?" Phinks snarled, but dropped the man to the ground nonetheless. "Fei's like this and _that's_ what you're telling me?"

She honed her ears, and hearing nothing, made up her mind. "What's done is done. Right now, we should be focusing our efforts on finding out where Lucky and the children are."

At her words, the two men glanced about and realized the silence Feitan had been left in. Phinks once again caught Zepile and this time, threw him down with an arm twisted behind his back. "Where are they?"

"I-I've been with you for the past half day, how would I know?"

Machi left the room behind, clutching her own arms tightly. Her fingernails started to dig into her skin and came close to drawing blood, but after a moment she let them go limp, leaving her arms intact. Their one-sided quarrel rang through the still air until a slight gust of wind came through the open doors. It played with Machi's hair, tangling her pink strands together before passing on. Jaw set grimly, she raised a hand to her head to set it straight. Her eyes trailed after the aftermath of the breeze, toying with a simple jar of flowers Gon had picked for Rein and sending a single petal fluttering softly to the ground.

She'd just shut her eyes when a rustling reached her ears. She looked just in time to see the night wind fighting against a sheet of paper sticking out from between two pages of a book. Machi tilted her head. She'd seen this volume before.

_Maps of Various Regions in the Eastern Mountains._

She wondered if what her gut told her was accurate.

While Machi confirmed her suspicions quietly, Phinks continued to pick a fight with Zepile, as if to have something, anything to blame. After much arm twisting and weak-based accusations, he finally let the man go, falling back to the floor. He cracked his knuckles. "We've got to find that chain user."

Zepile rubbed his bruising wrists. "I'm coming with you."

A scoff. "Why should you, traitor?"

"The kids are gone aren't they? This could mean they've gone on their own will, but it doesn't mean that they haven't been taken. And if they are, it can't be good. They could be in danger in either case, too. I'm coming along. And if Zushi is-"

"Listen, you scumbag," Phinks said. "You're staying here. The only good you've ever done to this world was bring that boring brown brat into it!"

Shutting the book shut, Machi decided to leave them to their counterproductive bickering and slipped outside. She was met with cool darkness as she drew farther from the brightly lit lodge, and her sharp eyes adjusted to the night, gleaming when the moonlight passed through the trees and illuminated her figure.

She crouched and assessed the scene; a sweeping scuff of dirt to her left, grass tufted with small specks of dirt at its tips, and a sure trail of crushed leaves and twigs left behind.

So this was the direction they'd gone.

* * *

Everyone's expression was grim, and they couldn't step forward to say anything. But the situation concerned all of them now, and that was what brought Lucky to speak again.

"You mentioned restoration of the Kurta Clan. If you've studied my Nen as you seem to have done before, you should now it's not as strong as it once was. But you should also be aware of the repercussions that will come if you do this." His looked hardened. "You're willing to make such a sacrifice?"

"I'm aware of what pains I'll be causing you. This is why I proposed to spend time on it and figure out a peaceful way to draw it out and put it to use. I know it's a heavy thing to ask of you, so I'll wait as long as needed. My clan can wait a little while longer for their resurrection."

"And your friends now," Lucky looked to Gon and Killua, "you'll just let them die in the exchange?"

Kurapika appeared confused. "Die?"

"Well, that seems to be the general concept of how things are going to roll," Killua commented, scratching the back of his head casually. "Don't tell me you approached this without knowing about that."

"Die?" Kurapika whispered, and his composed form started to slip from his grasp.

"Yeah," Gon piped up. "Life for a life. Lucky said it would most likely be ours."

"You heard them," Lucky said, and crossed his arms. "Didn't you know? You'll have to trade with people who are equally precious to you know. You can't go through with this. So just stop, please. Give up. You won't get anywhere."

Kurapika's hands dropped to his sides. "I'll have to choose between..." His foot ground firmly into the tiles. "Don't mess with me! I'll have to choose—that's basically the same as telling me that I'll have to decide who to kill. Lucky, it's not _right_. Isn't there any other way? I've waited so long for this day."

"No." Lucky struggled to restrain himself from taking out his own anger on him. "Either you let things be, or everyone you know today is going to be the sacrifice for what you want. They'll all be gone, just like... just like what you did to..." He sucked in a breath, jaw aching from gnashing his teeth together. "It's time to think of others. I would personally like it if you backed off and let all of us be."

"But..." Kurapika's voice was soft as he took a few steps back, glancing at them each before his eyes glazed over and he shook his head. "I couldn't possibly choose." He did his best to hold his strength, but it was escaping from him quickly. "I couldn't..." His back hit the wall and his black heel squeaked against it, trying to press him forth into a reality he couldn't accept. His blond bangs swayed as he shook his head once more. There was no way, and yet, there had to be a path he could take. He couldn't let things end like this; he'd dedicated his past five years into assuring the Kurta Clan would be properly avenged. In vengeance for Aira, who the Spiders had manipulated. For his mother's sake, for his father's, for Pairo.

There had to be another way, this certainly could not be the limit. It had to be a lie, it _was_ a lie. Please, this had been the only thing keeping him going for so long.

"I can't."

His legs started to give out, and his eyes finally reached a state of pure blankness.

Of its own volition, his Chain Jail started to quiver, rising uncontrollably and lashing out violently before it shot in Lucky's direction; toward his Nen.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> These recent chapter titles are inspired by Detective Conan and are super over-the-top dramatic, as planned. 
> 
> On another note, wow. Look, I'm so nice to these characters. *blatant lies and sarcasm*


	70. Scarlet Nocturne: Eclipse

They were born roughly four years apart, but as far back as he could remember she had always been in his life in the Kurta Clan. Not next to him as a best friend, as Pairo had been, though she had been close. And not family. No, simply... near.

The sight of her tousled brown hair and brown eyes were nothing new. Those had always been bobbing up and down somewhere around him, either at his sides or Pairo's. They weren't as dark and rich as Pairo's own, of course; that came from his father's side of the family. Aira's were much lighter, of Pairo's mother.

He'd known her for a long time, he realized. He would come over and he and Pairo would both lean over a carved crib, putting their pinkies in her tiny palm and comment over and over on whose hand she'd held first or how squishy she was. They would continue to do so until someone came in and begged them to let the poor baby sleep already, and shooed them outside, after which he and Pairo would go take a peek at some of the riding birds instead. (Days without schedule or commitment, he missed that.)

Time passed, and soon baby became toddler. As soon as she'd been able to stand on her own two feet, it seemed as if she never left them alone, always following after them with her tiny arms outstretched. Kurapika put up with it at first, but it grew tiring. He found it annoying. He wanted to spend time with Pairo alone, running through the forest without a needy toddler clinging to them or tripping over herself. He found increasingly innovative ways to get her out of the way and took it upon himself to do so because Pairo was too nice to. Yet even toddlers could learn, and soon his childish lies about girl-eating-monsters had no effect.

But whether he'd been trying to pry himself and Pairo away from her or she'd come waddling back with short arms raised and tugging at the hems of their clothes, she had always been a part of his life. As a voice leaking in through a crack in the doorway, as an off-beat rhythm amid the other drummers during festivals, as a sight of a poorly cut mushroom when she tried to help in the kitchen. She had always been there.

Present, that's what it was. Even when he hadn't been with her, she had always been one face among dozens in the village, a person they wouldn't be the same without. She was a Kurta; she was part of his clan and one of them, one of him.

And yet, when he finally opened his eyes and realized just what he was doing, he looked at the one entangled in his conjured chains—Chain Jail, the one where he would die if he used it on anyone other than a Spider—he was surprised it wasn't Aira. He knew he'd lost control and aimed it at Lucky, that much he could vaguely comprehend in hindsight. But everything after wasn't something he could understand. With the flow of things, he'd just somehow assumed that...

That the one in his prison for Spiders _should_ have been Rein.

The young boy's arms were pinned tightly to his sides, the silken fabric of his sleeves twisted between the links of the chains. But the wooden ridges of his sandaled feet dug firmly into the floor, grounding him with an unwavering determination as his grimace became a proud badge. Able to stay standing, he slowly raised his gaze. "The only person here I'm going to let you even think about hurting," Kalluto said, "is me."

* * *

Kalluto—with breaking, cracking sounds tearing from his chest as he wondered whether he would tear in half himself—now understood why the pumping of the heart was called a beat. At times it could be violent, and the beating of his heart now was the most frantic as it had ever been.

A simple flick, a fleeting will, any single steel inch forward could do him in for good. And he was near helpless to do anything about it.

Kalluto tried to reel in his heavy breathing and quickly shot a look off to the side. Rein's teeth were shut, gritting together as she glared at Kurapika just coming to his senses. Her knees were slightly bent and hidden by the folds of her skirt, but with the situation, he knew Rein had been more than ready to attack or spring forward and take Lucky's place as the target of the chain. Kalluto was only grateful he'd been a step ahead of her.

"Kallu—!" His ivory hair stood on edge, but Killua took no further steps forward as a light of realization sparked in Kurapika's dazed eyes.

"You're a Spider." He observed the boy caught in his Hatsu and himself, intact. "And," Kurapika said the next part slowly, "you're a Zoldyck?"

"You remembered." Kalluto felt like his heart would leap right from his throat. "Now let me go before Rein does anything stupid."

"You heard," she said when a moment passed in silence. "Let him free. He hasn't done anything." 

It took time, but after a pause Kurapika withdrew his chain from Kalluto, who was quickly tackled by Zushi and led to Lucky behind the safe shadow of Gon and Killua. "I lost control. I apologize," Kurapika said.

At those words, she snapped. "It's always 'I apologize' this and that! But I don't seem to actually remember you doing it. I don't remember you saying 'sorry'."

"You reasoned I should let Killua's brother go because he hasn't done anything. Those were your exact words."

The realization hurt. "You're ignoring me."

"Which implies you think his innocence is basis for his release. What then, of the Phantom Troupe? Do you insist they're innocent or I let them go?"

"How about you listen to me for once? Leave us alone. You leave me alone and I'll leave you alone. This is my offer. Last chance."

Kurapika glanced around her outstretched hand, which she hadn't realized she'd extended. She quickly snatched it back, but not before she heard a heavy sigh and a small, "Aira."

She glowered. "Don't call me that." A small thump sounded when he took a step forward, and a closer look through the dimming light in the room revealed an unusual shape at his hip, hard to pick out and black just as his clothes were. It couldn't have been his chains, it was too uniform and stiff. Rein's eyes widened. She searched for a clasp and wrung out out a hand behind her back, loosening her fingers as he approached.

"I understand. I do." He came forward. "Your memory has been forcibly wiped and you live with memories of the Phantom Troupe only. You've forgotten all your happiness, you past, and your real family. It must be hard to accept." Another step. "But this is the past, written in stone. You can't change it. All the happiness you lost remains in you and in others." Another step forward, the last as he tried to reach out, for her, for sympathy and any sense of the warmth he'd been deprived of. "You can't replace it with the feigned care of _murderers_ and _thie-!"_

A blur of color brushed by his ear, and a soft breeze caused by it followed soon after.

Rein cushioned her landing with a slide into a crouch a distance away from Kurapika, behind him before anyone had time to comprehend what just happened. She started to stand, tilting her head back with something akin to a grin as she raised her arm and a sharp inhale rose from everyone watching. She cocked the gun. _"Thieves_ , right?"

Kurapika's gaze whipped to his side, and his empty holster.

"Rein, you absolute _moron!"_ Killua yelled from the side as he tried to keep everyone else from rashly leaping out to grab it from her hands or get in the pistol's path. "Are you _trying_ to die?"

"Aira." Kurapika did his best to appear calm and reached out, palm flat and facing upward. "Rein, give it back. You well know that if you shoot, the chain in your heart will act before I can."

Rein knew. But it put her and Kurapika on equal standing, acting as a deterrent and forcing him to incline his ear to her reasoning. If nothing worked... If she was going down, he would go down with her. The cold weight cemented itself in her hands, foreign but not uncomfortable. She rather liked its polished silver shine. "I don't think I'm going to miss."

"Did I get something wrong about your feelings? I apologize." At her scowl at his words, Kurapika almost winced. He didn't understand. Or maybe he did, and didn't want to. He brought his voice low. "Why do you always defend them?" She couldn't possibly love the Spiders, could she? "They took everything away from you."

"Then..." Rein sniffed, and suddenly she was struggling to hold everything back. Hot tears were leaking from the scrunched corners of her eyes as she attempted to keep the frown on her face, trying to keep her lips from trembling at the mere thought of scenes burned into her memory that she didn't want to remember. Her voice broke. "Do you have to do it a second time?"

* * *

Machi ran through the wood, retracing their steps from the time they'd saved Lucky and following the signs suggesting the group came this way. It was difficult, but she could manage. She'd been an expert at tracking for years, and her experience would not fail her now. Her feet pounded the moist soil as she went, silent.

Those kids were crazy, all of them. She only hoped Lucky had a firm grip on the situation. As helpless as he was, he understood people the best and was often the mediator when no one else was around. But in this matter, Lucky was no longer neutral, and that aspect worried her. If he or anyone let their emotions get the better of them, there was no telling what outcome would be ahead. There was a thin line between a future you could twist and a fate set in stone, and crossing that line was something to be avoided at all costs. 'Too late' was a reality, one she knew all too well.

Empty air caught in her throat painfully, pressing against the contracted walls of her esophagus and choking her. Machi nearly stumbled, but she was able to keep steady.

It was unnecessary to think of loss. She was a Spider. She didn't need dwell on such things, and it would only weigh her down.

But there was the bracelet on her wrist, the one Lucky had made with her, and although looking at it nearly made her want to puke, she kept staring at it. Gradually, her breathing slowed.

The ones who'd gone ahead all had rage to fuel them, but so did Kurapika. The only ones close to neutral in the matter were Gon and Killua, and she didn't trust them to hold their stance or to use it accordingly. The strongest one out of their allies was Kalluto, but he was a Spider, one whom the chain user was groomed to restrain and kill if necessary.

Machi didn't know whether her appearance would do anything to help the situation, and this new uncertainty felt uncomfortable to her. But no matter what would come from it, she had to go. She would go with this endless pit in her middle and deal with it from there.

* * *

Rein didn't like dead bodies. She disliked the way they hung wet and limp and bloody and broken, as how she often ended seeing them during her time with the Phantom Troupe. It had been fearsome at first, then simply uncomfortable, then a bit intriguing. It looked horrid, but little by little her curious eyes started to draw to the destructed sight, a scene that was wrong and sickening but _fascinating_.

That fascination disappeared rather quickly when the Chain User had shown up.

It didn't belong on people she knew and she _hated_ him for it. And as the standstill stretched out and her arms began to quiver and her sight blurred beyond comprehension and Kurapika acted like he knew how she felt and was calm about it, her hate intensified.

 _Die,_ she wanted to shout, her grip on the gun tightening. _Just hurry up and die_. She wanted curse him, to pound her fists against his chest and scream at him to just _die_ , to go away and disappear from her life and just leave her alone. But the words caught painfully in her throat.

She wanted this, didn't she?

(But did she hate him more than bodies? Enough to wish him to become one?)

(She wished the answer was yes.)

"Aira-"

"My name is _Rein!"_ she screamed.

Kurapika only blinked.

"My name," she repeated slowly, "is Rein." She pulled back a shaky hand and swept a lock of hair out of her vision. She kept the gun trained on him. "With pressure, perhaps you'll reconsider. You can't bring back the Kurta just like I can't reverse what you've done. That's the reality. Drop it and leave me alone. Leave us alone."

"But it's only due to Lucky's own inadequacies, correct? If I have his power, if I take it, I can do something about it. _I_ can make it work." Before anyone could comprehend, a different sort of chain had materialized in his hands. "It's what my Hatsu is for. This is what I'm supposed to do. If I can't do this..." A small metal syringe gleamed at the end of his chain, its point sharp.

Rein froze. She didn't recognize this one.

The human wall protecting Lucky strengthened when he tried to step forward to try and reason. For the better of everyone, they wouldn't let Kurapika have an opening. But though they were all shielding Lucky, he was head and shoulders taller than all of them. So even when he was forced to speak from behind them, he could clearly see Kurapika's face. And yet, as Lucky watched, it was clear Kurapika wasn't looking at him, wasn't seeing _him._

"My Nen is destructive. If you try to control all of it at once, with no other targets, it's going to turn on you. It won't go the way to want it to. You don't know it. Even _I_ don't know it well enough to go try my hand at something as rash as what you want to. It could kill people." His eyes lowered, softening with pain. "Stop before you lose something you can't get back."

"If you don't take risks, you'll never accomplish anything great."

Lucky tried to push forward with his jaw set, to no avail. "You _can't_. My Nen is too crazy, too hectic."

"Then," Kurapika's words came with straightforward simplicity, a tone that chilled him to the bone. His fingers flicked up, and the rattling of his chains followed a split second after. "Let's see which is stronger. My grudge, or your aura."

He was serious, and the chain that shot through the air this time was something he'd sent forward himself instead of his emotions taking over and seizing control of his chains. This advancing metal syringe was a carefully pondered weapon of choice for the situation, and its placement couldn't have been more pinpoint accurate, unwavering in its path. This skill was polished, and all his movements had been executed cleanly.

Kurapika was rational, and that was scary.

Electricity pulsed through Killua as he prepared to block any attacks with his reflexes. After learning he could use his power to advance his reaction time, he'd worked hard on that. His hand moved quicker than his eyes, zipping to the right in an attempt to grab the chain midair, but metal knocked coldly against his fingertips, a sense of defeat not unlike the time Milluki had first taken him to the dungeons. Its sharp end slipped right past.

Killua had been the quickest to act, but Zushi's instincts kicked in soon after. He pushed Kalluto out of the chain's path and with a single glance at Gon, the two headstrong boys knew what to do. Zushi, already in the air, twisted and made contact with Gon's interlocked fingers, propelling him forward as the latter was pushed back, green boots skidding across the floor.

Zushi collided with Kurapika at rapid speed and delivered a blow to his chest, using his momentum given him to move in the direction he pushed Kurapika and grab hold of his shoulder. He slid to a stop and jerked his body back, locking his arms around Kurapika's in the short time it took Gon to stand up on the other side of the room and start moving toward them.

The chains wavered in their path, and Killua's hand reached out to grab it again, but his speed was nothing compared to the strength that came from the willingness to sell your life for Nen. The chain simply dodged his hold, and a zap crackled at his fingertips at just how _close_ he had been.

Unable to run, Lucky concentrated his aura and met the end of the chain head on. Creaking noises filled the air from the amount of force he was using, but his technique was not perfect. Though slowed, the chain found a weakness and easily plunged through his shield and stuck itself into Lucky's skin.

A guttural scream rang out, alerting a certain Spider at the gates about what was going on inside.

Lucky's aura pulsed around him, lashing out and fighting against the chain, but it was slowly and surely being sucked away. A murky, black haze enveloped him and struck out repeatedly despite his attempts to tame it amidst his pain. His teeth clenched together to keep from crying out, but his Nen resisted desperately, roaring in his place.

Zushi shifted his weight expertly when Kurapika's attention was taken by his syringe chain, sending them both to the ground with Zushi as the victor as he pinned down the Kurta. "What are you _doing_?"

His eyes were a controlled scarlet, a destroying star. "I wouldn't advise touching the chain. I'm in the process of taking his Nen. If you interfere, you could lose your own as well."

Lucky couldn't hold back another scream, panting as his legs started to go weak. A part of the ceiling collapsed as his dark Nen surged, giving another cry. He was short of breath and already breaking into a sweat. His aura was still fighting, draining his own energy along with his Nen in the process.

Killua glowered. He didn't care what Kurapika was going on about. He was quick. He might not have been as strong as Kurapika, but if he manipulated his muscles he could yank that chain out in half a second. He was wringing his wrist when he heard a shrill "Zushi, move!" followed with the crack of a gunshot.

Right after, the pistol fell with a clatter from her limp fingers and Rein crumpled to the ground.

* * *

When Machi burst in, it was difficult to make head or tails of the situation. But there were clues to help her out. Naturally, she was initially worried about Lucky laying off to the side, muscles tensed, quivering and unable to move. He always had a tendency to acquire the worst injuries. Yet his eyes were fixated elsewhere, on the group of people huddled on the ground on the other side of the room. As one of them looked up, piercing eyes met her from behind blond bangs, and her breath hitched. But rather than attack, the chain user accepted her presence as soon as he'd acknowledged it.

And, it seemed, for good reason.

"Aira, you'll be alright. I promise. The woman is here. Machi is here. Aira, hang in there."

When Kurapika stood up, Rein's body was revealed, curled up in itself. Her pale brown hair was strewn on the ground, a stark contrast between the darker pool of blood beneath her. "You've fixed Leorio before. I trust you." His words, though curt, failed to keep their usually calm undertone. "Heal her."

Machi didn't hesitate, and the others moved out the way to let her work. "Explain what happened," she ordered, bringing out a clean needle and summoning her threads.

"She... she shot at me with a restriction still on her heart." For the first time, she noticed an entry wound on his arm. If she recalled correctly, the chain user was supposed to have access to full Enhancer abilities. She deduced he was refraining from healing himself out of a sense of guilt. "Aira gave some sort of verbal warning first, so while I was occupied in a physical struggle, I was able to pull the chain back before it ran through her heart entirely." He quieted. "It must have stayed materialized or the wound wouldn't have gone external. My chains aren't capable of going against each other, so I can't fix..." His eyes were regretful. "I could have executed that far more efficiently. I should have foreseen this and taken out the chain before hand. But this wouldn't have happened if you all... if she..."

Zushi's fist tightened, and he practically spit out his next sentence. " _Look_ at the situation and finish that sentence."

Silent accusations ran amok, but none dared to bring it aloud.

Machi warned them all with a glance to back away as she treated Rein's wound. Swiftly cutting the cloth around her chest obscuring her wound from view, Machi got to work.

Rein's heart wasn't run all the way through; it seemed even through all the chaos, the chain user had been able to pull back barely in time. A split second later, and Machi didn't know whether Rein would have been in a condition where she could fix her. The wound was shallow compared to what could have been, and although the blood loss was rapid, it was not too dire for her to mend. Machi set about on healing the girl, her movements swift yet precise.

When she was done sewing back together Rein's heart tissue and individual blood vessels, she took a moment to stretch her hands and check back on her work. No anomalies. "Kalluto," she called.

He trotted over, averting his eyes casually off to the side.

"You wanted to say something," she stated, voice low.

Kalluto seemed surprised she'd noticed, but the expression left him quickly. "Use Gyo and look at Lucky."

When she did as he ordered, she did her utmost to conceal a sharp intake of breath. Lucky was lying on the ground with In-coated chains in an inordinate number of loops tightly around his body. His aura was weak now, small, and it seemed, snapped in half. Only a scant amount remained around him while the rest was spread sparsely in wisps around the trail of metal links, with a clean divide in opacity and color separating the two. He had been trembling since roughly a minute ago, but Machi now noticed it was because he was trying to spur enough energy in himself to stand—and he was failing. Her eyes followed along a crack in the side wall leading to the caved ceiling, and with straining, saw the faded bits of his remaining aura fizzling away into the dark sky.

"A hole in his Nen." She glanced around Lucky, who failed in his attempts to stand once more. "One he doesn't have enough strength to close, or the ability to produce aura to make up for it."

The chain user could not use his Chain Jail on people who were not Spiders. There were two possibilities. Either Kurapika viewed him as a member of the Phantom Troupe, or, the most likely, the chain holding Lucky down was not the Jail chain.

From the scarce information Machi had earned in her few minutes on the scene, it was not difficult to deduce what had occurred. The hole in Lucky's Nen had to have been caused by the intrusion of the chain, one likely intended to take his aura away from him. The gunshot had come from Rein judging from shining pistol that had been hidden under the folds of her skirt, forgotten by all. That shot had been the catalyst to send the blade around her heart into action, and also the thing to cause Kurapika to briefly forget about Lucky in the middle of taking his Nen. It was probably then or soon after that the chain he'd been previously using on Lucky was rapidly pulled out and used to restrain him instead.

Without the intended use of the chain in play, it wasn't as strong as the one she imagined had held Uvogin, but against Lucky, weakened, it was more than enough. The botched effort to steal his power left his aura in horrible shape, draining him even further as the chain continued to entrap him.

He was in pain, again.

Machi wanted to... stop that.

A shaky plan in mind, she sewed Rein's shirt back up as Kalluto cast his look off elsewhere. "Kalluto," she ordered, "retreat." It was a quiet demand to move to safety.

In a way that wouldn't place pressure on Rein's wound, she held the girl up abruptly. Calling up her Nen threads, she willed them to glow the brightest they could as she slipped her threads around the pistol. As everyone watched, she gave a sharp tug and the handgun fell into cleanly split chunks, clinking to the ground with their new razor-sharp edges. After the demonstration was over, she quickly wrapped those same threads around Rein before anyone could react.

Machi tilted her head. "Retract your chains from Lucky or I cut the girl to pieces."

The room went dead silent.

"You want this girl alive, don't you? Pull back your chains. It seems disrupting the process separated his Nen, rendering them both weak and useless. It no longer has the power to do what you want." Machi minded her wording and the conviction she displayed in her tone. "It's an ideal scenario for you despite the circumstances. Your friends are alive, and you've dealt heavy blows to our side. If you wish to keep that victory and have Aira alive, pull back your chain."

 _"You_. _"_ Kurapika seethed before exhaling a hot breath. "I knew you lot didn't care for her." And yet, as he said it a flicker of doubt lightened his face.

He observed the new Nen floating around his chains and tried to manipulate it. It fizzled into the air, and though it was supposed to be destructive, nothing happened when he brushed his hand over it. It seemed nothing more than mist anymore. It blatantly paled in comparison to what Lucky's aura had been like before, massive and dark, a rabid fighter when he was desperate.

Kurapika hated losing, and he despised the Phantom Troupe tenfold that. But his cause was dead, and Aira was being held captive. "Are you really willing to kill her?"

"The death of one girl is nothing. There are plenty of others in the world." Machi shifted her threads around Rein to display indifference.

"Then one other question." Kurapika gestured to Lucky. "Why threaten me, why care for him, if you don't care about the death of any other?"

"That's..." The question caught Machi off guard, but an honest answer came to her quickly. "It's no exaggeration to say I've been close to his bare chest multiple times."

Kurapika was devoid of emotion as he simply nodded, accepting the excuse as believable. "You two have that kind of relationship?" The rattle of steel filled the air as he pulled his chain back. Scraps of half of Lucky's aura drifted and faded into nothing as he let go of it, done with its possible use.

With a shudder and sigh, Lucky stopped trying to stand and lay on the ground. As he predicted, the woman left Rein safe, with not even a scratch on the girl as she rushed to Lucky to assist in building up his energy to seal the hole in his aura. Without his chain thrust through it, it would close on its own. On the side, everyone had been unconsciously protecting the little Spider, Killua's brother. As both Rein and Lucky started to regain consciousness bit by bit, the four off to the side approached and interacted as friends did. Amid it all, Gon offered a concerned glance back him, and Kurapika smiled gently back. He accepted Gon's sun-like grin as he watched from afar.

In the end, he had failed.

Kurapika slipped to the ground slowly as he offered up silent apologies to his dead men. Legs sprawled out to his sides and his arms free of tension, he tilted back his head and stared into the nighttime expanse above, lone stars reflecting in his swimming eyes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Zushi: Kalluto, what did he mean when he said "that kind of rela-"?  
> Kalluto: Machi just lied to get Kurapika to think she was serious about killing Rein. It was a strategy to ensure they both would make it out of it and there would be no more casualties.   
> Zushi: I know that, but what did he mean?  
> Killua: haha I'm going to tell him.  
> Kalluto: *pushes Killua off a cliff and refuses to answer the question as Gon and Zushi trail after him, confused*
> 
> Lucky, when he regains his health and hears about what Machi said: you said wHAT.  
> Machi: Yes.  
> Lucky: BUT NOW KURAPIKA THINKS THAT WE'RE...WHY ARE YOU SO CALM ABOUT THIS


	71. By and By

It was strange.

Unable to sleep—bright moonlight in his eyes, his side of the pillow too hot or cold, tossing and turning without getting comfortable—Lucky sat up, grabbed his jacket and crept quietly out into the hallway.

Funny, he mentally remarked as he slowly shut his room door. Normally he could never be silent if he tried.

Walking down the dim hallway and taking care not to stumble, he spared a glance down at his hand. He'd never noticed the thick heaviness of his aura until it was gone. But this light and clear feeling around him now almost felt like he was floating, carried up, like he'd shed an entire layer of clothing he never realized he'd been wearing. It felt so peculiar not being weighed down. He tried to surge his aura and gave a quick sigh. Before, it had taken so much effort to keep his Nen in check, to press it down in an attempt to keep it behaved. The easiness of it now was underwhelming as he expected to get more and was met with nothing.

Throughout his entire life, his aura had caused him nothing but problems. It had been his bad luck, his curse, but now that it was gone he almost missed its presence. He was glad he was finally free from its burden, but in its absence he was lacking something.

In the living room, he fumbled blindly around for the light panel and turned on the dimmest light possible, though he still had to squint when the bulb flickered on. Squeezing past the coffee table, his elbow bumped against a wilted flower in a vase. Hugging his jacket around him, he pulled on a pair of slippers and headed out into the night.

Maybe he was mistaken, but he felt a little chiller with half his aura gone.

It wasn't just the nature of his aura—or lack of it—it seemed his entire Nen itself had changed into something completely foreign. The weight and consistency aside, what before had been a murky, inky yet shining black had become almost as clear as water, and if it had color, as white as clouds. He could barely see it, pale wisps disappearing before his eyes. And the shape, the depth of it all. His aura used to take an untamed form, one that only added to his heavy load when he first strived to get it under control. Now it was quieter and without its original wild volume.

It had been painful then, when a few days back his Nen had been sucked away and then unexpectedly snapped in half, but he didn't feel any repercussions of it now. Just a little lighter, a little colder, a little more serene. Nothing too negative.

The sky was a picture with crisp resolution, and the stars clear and bright. Simple and beautiful, and nothing was ruining the mood or creeping up behind him to drag him back to a life of misfortune. He could stand still and gaze upward for ages and feel secure among soft melodies of crickets and rustling leaves. Safe.

He did feel strange without his former aura, and the uneasiness wouldn't stop. But if he wanted to, with his newfound freedom he almost felt like he could fly.

...But...

More than his freedom, more than his peaceful, white, gentle aura, he wished Feitan would come back.

(And somewhere else, maybe far away or perhaps closer than expected, someone else wished the same.)

As he kept standing in silence, the cold started to creep across his skin and seep into his bones. He clutched his arms and turned to head back inside. Kicking off his shoes and going across the room to turn off the lights, his eyes briefly landed on the small vase, its flowers blooming strongly with life.

He squinted before shuddering and brushing off the matter to hurry off to bed. Flicking down the light switch, he retraced his steps through the dark hallway.

...

That flower. He could have sworn...


	72. Little Wonders

She could stand normally. That was good, right?

It still hurt for her to move, though at this point it was a challenge to tell whether the pain was external or internal, physical or emotional. But slowly, she was recovering. Right.

(She was fine.)

Rein had expected to feel so much more hate than she currently was. Loathing toward the chain user was—according to last time, according to everything he had done—what she should have been experiencing. But it wasn't there now. It didn't feel absent or missing either, simply not present in her heart. But she missed him, she missed Fei, they all did, and he had left far too early. She also missed Uvo and Paku, and Phinks was left all alone on Saturdays now without his drinking partner, and there was no one to guide Lucky, and even Gon was quieter than usual and she...

(She... was not fine.)

Finished with one round through the lodge, Rein set a hand upon a familiar door, lip trembling. If only she had opened it sooner.

(She was not fine, and she would scream it to the world.)

Her 'scream' was a quiet one, little more than a fighting sob that had finally managed to make it past her barriers, and also one that faded into silence when she entered the room and saw someone that should not have been there.

Feitan looked at her and scowled. "You look pathetic."

* * *

A... dream?

Rein reached out towards his image in a bit of a daze.

He batted her arm away quickly. "If dream, you pinch yourself, not me."

Eyes widening, she stared at the area where his hand had smacked hers. It stung. Her throat constricted and she struggled to draw in a breath as she managed to let out, "You're here."

"Now you pathetic and stupid too-" His sentence was cut off as Rein leapt forward and hugged him with such power that he would have been crushed had he not been actively trying to stand firm and resist. His crumpling clothes, his angered demeanor, and his warmth as she squeezed him tighter as he attempted to push away was all evidence that he, that Feitan was... Her light brown hair enveloped his face and he tilted his head to the side in an effort to breathe.

Suddenly Rein backed up, stumbling. Her voice was unsure, panicked, confused, but without a doubt, it was happy. "You're _here_." Then her eyes widened. She grasped his wrist quickly, gripping it so he could never escape if he tried. Rein started to pull him from the room, tugging his hand and glancing back every other second to affirm that yes, he was still present and would not leave anytime soon. She pulled him back into the main room, her feet scrambling for the floor, constantly dangling too far off the ground and causing her step to falter as the realization sunk in. "He, he's..." She was able to pull him along without complaint, only silent disapproval. "He's...!" Words failed her.

The floorboards creaked. Lucky walked into view, yawning with a hand up to his mouth. "That you, Red? You're being awful loud to... day..." His eyes caught on the pair, and he became frozen stiff.

Rein was only able to gesture numbly, eyes bursting with the emotion her lips could not bring themselves to express.

Lucky's eyes grew to saucers and mirrored hers as he took a step back. Legs giving out, he fell heavily to the floor, shaking his head. His dark bangs swept across his forehead, but his gaze stayed fixated. "Feitan," he whispered quietly, though it seemed to boom from his chest. His features twisted as a sob escaped from him. "But I killed you." His voice cracked. "My Nen... _I'm_ the reason you had to..." A hot tear leaked from his eye as he started to tremble, and he brought the heels of his palms to his face.

He was confused. But the pure relief he was feeling, the escape from a heavy burden of his Nen always causing misfortune to his loved ones around him, breaking free of his loop now that he was liberated, the emotions overwhelmed him one after another until strength returned to his limbs. He pushed off and within two bounds he'd reached the Spider, crushing him in his arms. "I'm sorry, Feitan, it's always me, it's always because of me..." The tears continued to flow, choking the words out of him. Lucky was bent down to have the Spider in his hold, tears dropping down his chain and staining the painted skull on his mask.

Rein, unable to hold it in, made her clumsy way forward and joined in the embrace.

Woken by and concerned about the noise taking place, Zepile made his way to the bottom floor of the lodge when he was met with a glimpse of the scene between the stair railings. "K-Kid," he first turned back slowly then rapidly, racing back up the stairs as soon as his legs allowed him to. "Kid, S-Son... Zushi! _Zushi!_ " Zepile burst into his room and was met with the large, bewildered eyes of a child.

Zushi attempted to close his open mouth. "You said 'son'-"

"Downstairs," Zepile rushed out, focusing on the more important matter at hand.

"Should I change firs-"

"Oi," Kalluto growled deeply, his voice almost mimicking Phinks'. Suddenly behind Zepile in the doorway, he pushed the man's arms aside, revealing he was without his normal garb and instead dressed in a pair of loose, traditional samue nightwear. In his balled up hand was his fan and a fistful of crumpled paper confetti.

Back in the living room, Lucky was a mass of apologies and guilt. It was always his fault the people around him got hurt, it was always because he was around that these things happened—these thoughts ran rampant through his mind, a flood of his pent up past. If being alone meant others would be safe, he would be fine with that, or at least he'd used to think so, and though he'd never spoken it aloud because the Spiders seemed strong enough, he had been deathly scared of the possibility of his presence becoming the cause for their misfortune. And that cause he had become.

With so much action taking place in the aftermath, and much to attend to afterwards, Lucky hadn't been able to wind down and fully take a break. But with Feitan—small, angry Feitan scoffing in his lanky arms—he realized the toll it had taken on him. "I'm sorry."

"You blond?" Feitan asked, his first words to Lucky.

He hesitated in his answer, peering at a dangling lock of his own jet-black hair. "No."

"You have chains on hand or red earring?"

Lucky wiped at his watering eyes and let the man go, noticing he was beginning to turn. "No."

Feitan's piercing gaze met him. "Then you groveling to air like a stupid doormat. Go die."

Those words lingered in his ears, calming him. Lucky was on the verge of breaking out into a stiff smile when Kalluto leapt from the top of the stairwell and landed on the bottom floor, Zushi behind him. In an instant paper confetti was up in the air, his fan expertly poised as he glared at Feitan through intense violet eyes.

"Who are you?"

Feitan didn't flinch at the threat of Serpent's Bite.

"You're not our teacher. He's dead. I saw him. And I know better than anyone here what a body should look like." When the man didn't answer, Kalluto lost his composure, and his steady voice rose. "Who are you?"

A soft finger landed on his back, stopping him.

"Kalluto," Zushi whispered, eyes trained on the figure. "You're wrong." His Gyo unwavering as he observed the person closely, he slowly nodded and turned to his friend. A smile. "That's Feitan-san."

"But that's..." His words came weak in the presence of Zushi's light. "That's not... he can't be."

Still, Zushi's grin didn't leave his face. Within the next moment he gave Kalluto a reassuring thump on the back before going forward and nearly scooped the man up when he embraced his torso, ruffling his dark clothes. "You're back."

Kalluto slowly drew back his confetti and the grip on his fan grew limp. As he openly stared, he softly muttered under his breath, "Kaguya-hime."

Zushi noticed his hesitation. Looking back, he extended his hand. "Come on, Kalluto." Confused, the Zoldyck took the hand only to be pulled into the hug as well. A bright laughed escaped Zushi as he showed his friend how to embrace, and soon Rein joined beside them, and Lucky did as well, draping himself over the group like a big blanket.

Feitan squirmed for a patch of undisturbed air. "Double training tomorrow if you don't let go," he warned, only to be met with retaliation from Rein.

Still not quite believing and unable to react, a small, breathless laugh erupted from her. "Your threats are so weak now, Fei." The group stayed huddled together for a while like this, unwilling to let him go. "I think I'm taller than you now."

 _"No_ , you _not,_ " Feitan butted back, and tried to straighten to prove his point, but was met with resistance from a warm, cuddly tangle of limbs and cloth and smiles. He could have easily broken their hold if he wanted too. They were all wide open and vulnerable, and it would have taken close to nothing to get them to let go, if that was what he truly wanted. And he thought he wanted that.

But as a heavy sigh passed from him, the most of any emotion leaked since the beginning of that morning, he found his lips shaping into a natural, slanting curve upward.

* * *

There had to be an explanation. Lucky ran a hand back through his hair as he sat back on the sofa, pondering the possibilities, watching through the windows as everyone else had ventured outside.

He assumed everyone else had awaken, but when word had spread that Feitan was somehow miraculously alive, Phinks had been the only one to step out into the open while the others kept to themselves. He'd punched Feitan's shoulder as hard as he could and with an unmistakable smile in his tone, he'd threatened, "If you die again, I'll kill you," to which Feitan had dared him to try. In regards to Rein, she hadn't let go of Feitan's sleeve ever since, and for once he complained but did not act upon his annoyance. Kalluto, strangely, had locked himself in the kitchen, but with the skip in his step he tried to hide, he seemed excited for whatever he was about to go do. Machi was out there too, watching. There was no doubt everyone was a degree of happy that Feitan had returned, for even Gon and Killua seemed to rest easy now that the rest of their friends were joyful once more.

But the reason behind it... he pinched the bridge of his nose. No matter how he tried to think, his mind kept running in circles, returning to the mere fact that Feitan was here. He was getting nowhere.

"Lucky?" Gon walked in, hands behind his back as he bent over to the side to meet his gaze. "Can I talk to you about something? I wanted to clear something with Killua but he told me to be quiet and go somewhere else."

"Sure. But if you don't mind," Lucky raised his head, "First, I'd like to ask for your two cents on what happened."

"...I don't have foreign money," Gon apologized, and was interrupted with Lucky's laughter.

"I'm not demanding actual currency from you; what would I buy, a broken pencil tip?" Still amused, he tried to keep a neutral face, though he failed. "I want to know what you think on why and how Feitan is alive right now."

"Oh, then..." Gon plopped down next to Lucky on the sofa, bouncing up and down for a moment before settling in. His conclusion was simple. "Didn't you say your Nen was used in the past to grant wishes? That should be it."

"Well, that's the so-called nature of it, a different aspect exploited by others, but it's not like it's my Nen power, it's just that my aura has the capacity to become stronger because it's been passed down... I guess." When Lucky looked to Gon, he recognized immediately that the boy hadn't understood a word, and to be fair, even he hadn't completely been able to comprehend the jumble of words tumbling out of his mouth. "It..." he searched for a way to explain, "can grant wishes when paired with this jewel on one of my bracelets."

"And that's been paired with you all this time, right?" he reasoned.

Lucky tried to make a comeback to this and why it wasn't true, but his mind drew a blank. Pausing, he looked down at his own wrist, and using Gyo, found nothing irregular. There was no aura left in his bracelet. He'd assumed there had to be some sort of ritual or process to connect the power of his own Nen and the aura of the jewel together, but if all it took was simply being together, that meant he had been in possession of a powerful force for a very, very long time.

Had he _actually_ been able to grant wishes for all these years? At this thought, he shook his head in denial. No, it couldn't be. He had always wished for his pain to stop, for his unluckiness to stop plaguing him, for him to get some good sleep and to simply pass his college courses (which he had forgotten even existed. Crap).

But on the flip side, those had all been longings, without an accurate knowledge of what was really going on with his strange luck, and little, small wishes for himself. And for himself, his feelings were not strong enough. Last night, when he'd wished for Feitan to come back, his chest had ached, carrying the burden of his own mourning and that of all the people close to him. Last night, his wish had been heartfelt.

"W-well yeah, but... But it has to be an equal exchange of sorts. For balance, if half my Nen is devoted to getting something back, then the other half is used to take something away."

Gon, surprisingly, was very patient with his wording. "And your Nen got snapped in half and disappeared, right?"

Lucky thought what Gon was implying—that only the good part of his Nen had stayed—was plain ridiculous until his mind started to process the words. His gaze snapped down to his hands as this time he activated both Ren and Gyo. Last night his Nen had been white, contrary to the black it had always been. Ever since this morning he'd felt even stranger, and coupled with the fact that Feitan was back, then perhaps something had happened. As he checked his own aura now, it was without color, subtle, and powerless. His Nen had been used up, and for what purpose was strikingly plain.

Lucky short-circuited with the amount of epiphanies he was getting today. He turned to Gon, who merely blinked back at him cluelessly, innocent. Lucky set his hands upon the boy's shoulders, head hanging. "You're a _genius_. I'll treat you to some ramen later."

"Soy sauce?" Gon inquired, lighting up.

"Whatever flavor you want. You deserve it." Lucky didn't have much money in the bank, but he was a Hunter now, and so was Gon. He was sure the expenses would work out somehow. "Thanks for talking this out with me. Anyway, you said you had a question for me before, right? What is it?"

Gon adjusted his sitting position, bringing up his legs. "Feitan is back and Rein is happy. Kurapika is calmed down now. So I thought this would be a good time to get them to meet together again." This didn't seem to be a suggestion. Gon's eyes were straightforward and serious, fixed on a goal only he could see. "I can't force her, but I thought it would be nice."

Lucky, chewing the inside of his lip, brought his hands together. "Kurapika has done nothing except rub me the wrong way, but I think you're right. I'm not saying there _is_ a right or wrong to this, but it's not... bad. It would help them both to heal and advance. Gon," Lucky met his gaze. "Make sure you ask Rein if she's alright with it first."

Gon was resolute in his answer, knowing the subject would be a tricky one. He gave a curt nod.

Rein sat outside the doorframe, just out of their sight but close enough to have heard everything they'd discussed. She'd been planning to get a drink of water, but decided against it now as she stood up quietly and left to go back outside to where she could have Feitan in her line of vision. Creeping away, Gon and Lucky's conversation rang in her ears.

She wasn't sure she would say yes, but...

...she would think about it.

* * *

Kalluto stood in the kitchen and hovered between bowls and open recipe books, sleeves tied back so they wouldn't interfere with his work. Though at first his hands operated quickly, whisking and measuring and sifting, gradually his hands halted in the middle of it.

There had been a story his mother had read to him long ago, back before the Zoldyck household had fallen to chaos. It had only been that one instance, but he remembered the tale well.

He echoed his own words from earlier:

"Kaguya-hime."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I personally think the song Little Wonders is perfect for the first part of this chapter.  
> also I'm finally making my characters happy yayyy


	73. From the Moon

A long, long time ago, there was a beautiful girl named Kaguya-hime.

She was discovered as a baby in a stalk of bamboo, and true to her name, shining with a soft but dazzling radiance. She was loved by all who raised her and even more, becoming admired by many in the land. But as she grew, so did her dissatisfaction with her current state, a dissent against the warm, close, but restricting life she'd led.

'I'm sorry,' she finally said one day, 'but I must return to the moon, where I am from.' All the princes of the land gave her lavish and expensive gifts to get her to stay, but Kaguya simply shook her head. They continued to try, endeavored their best to change her mind, but their gifts, no matter how beautiful they were, did not convince her to remain where she was.

 _"With that, the moon people soon came for their princess on a glowing chariot, and bidding goodbye, she disappeared into the night sky."_ Kikyo closed the picture book, her youngest son nestled in her arms.

The toddler looked up at his mother, his dark eyes questioning. _"Kaguya go away?"_

 _"Yes, Kalluto dear."_ Her hanging hair framed his small face as she answered.

 _"But..."_ Kalluto gently pried the book from her fingers and opened it back up to the pearls, the gold, and dark, lacquered bowls. He pointed. _"Pretty presents."_ He looked back and forth between the picture and Kikyo's thinly-pressed smile, confused. _"Kaguya's not happy?"_

 _"Perhaps, dear,"_ Kikyo said, taking the book away from her child, _"gifts simply aren't enough to keep people in one place."_

Once, there was a beautiful girl named Kaguya, and the world she lived in was not large enough for her.

Noticing his hands had stalled, he quickly began to work again. The quiet clicking of the whisk filled the air and managed to momentarily keep his mind busy, but not for long.

He'd always played the role of the prince. Trying his best, giving his best, but always left behind, everything he did in vain. Maybe gifts didn't really work to keep people around, in which case he wondered why he even tried so hard at giving gifts at all. Last time he hadn't even made it in time to stop Killua and he'd left before Kalluto could offer anything up. If giving was a futile method, as it had been in the old tale about the girl from the moon, there certainly wasn't any need to keep on doing this. Still, just once...

"I'd like the story of Kaguya to go differently," he voiced softly.

Killua stood on the other side of the locked kitchen door, his hands buried deep in his pockets as he listened to his brother working and ever so quietly bring up a bedtime story he'd forgotten even existed. "So that's what that was about," he muttered under his breath before pushing off and leaving, scuffed shoes noiseless as they padded back down the hall.

* * *

A gale of wind broke through the thin curtains he'd just closed, casting a bright flash of light into the darkness he'd tried to conserve before it sharply died, breezing softly past his ears and leaving a crack between the curtains. A strip of sun lay on the carpet when the wind left, undisturbed.

Kurapika touched the sunny surface before pulling back, sitting next to the bed. He set his head back on its hard wooden frame.

His phone dinged, and despite not feeling like it, he looked down to check. When he saw who the sender was, Kurapika simply wanted to sigh and place his phone somewhere else, to ignore the notification and be left alone for the moment. When his eyes caught on message itself, however, his eyes widened.   
  


Killua  
Feitan is back.  
  


He swallowed. When he took up his phone his hands almost trembled, but he somehow managed to keep them steady. At first he didn't know how to respond. How could he? The way he thought the blunt statement implied the impossible couldn't possibly be true.   
  


Kurapika  
Back, as in?

Killua  
Back as in he's alive after you killed him. Huzzah.

Kurapika   
How?

Killua  
The properties of Lucky's nen changed when your botched attempt to take it split it in half. Now instead of taking, it gave, so...

Killua  
Fei's back.

Kurapika  
I suppose I am a bit relieved for that, actually. It would be a lie to say I was fully content in what I did. Killing him was a mistake, I believe.

Kurapika   
Aira couldn't be happy with him gone.

Killua  
Let's meet.  
  


Here, Kurapika pursed his lips. The invitation had come too suddenly. He wasn't ready, but more importantly he didn't feel it was fair to Rein. He still despised the Spiders for what they'd done, and for their past deeds he could never dream of forgiving them. He had been a young boy who only wished for his friends and family to be alive. The Kurta Clan had done nothing wrong, but the Phantom Troupe had. And yet, Aira—Rein—was only a young girl who wished for the people around her to not die. In this regard, they were similar.

But after this realization, where could Kurapika go? What could he do? And how could he meet his friends again after his former superior had done horrible things to them? Not to mention after his rash actions could have led to more deaths of their comrades. The guilt lay with him, and he would take responsibility.   
  


Kurapika  
I don't think I'm ready for that, Killua. I appreciate the offer.

Killua  
oh I'm not Killua

Killua  
his phone was just sitting on the table begging to be taken so I took it. I mean what did he expect from leaving a valuable out in the open, that I _wouldn't_ take it? he's stupid sometimes

Killua  
anyway, meeting wasn't an offer. It was an order.

Killua  
well... a request. Gon was saying some stuff, so I just thought

Killua  
maybe it would be tolerable

Kurapika   
I see.

Kurapika   
Then, Aira, I'll meet with you.

  
He wondered whether his response had been the appropriate choice to make. If he was right, this was the very person who he'd thought avoiding would have been the best path, for both of them. Avoidance meant the least amount of pain, less bitter words to bite back, fewer memories that would hit him like a truck. Coming from a logical perspective, he _should_ have stayed far from Rein based off of his current emotional state. He wouldn't be able to handle it properly and keep his composure.

But ignoring all that... he suppose he did want to meet with her a little.

For the longest time, a response didn't come, to the point where he wondered if he'd been inaccurate in guessing who the sender was. He was about to text his concerns when his phone buzzed in his hands.   
  


Killua  
Kurapika? It's Rein.  
  


His mouth opened slightly in understanding. He stalled when writing his answer, but there was no hesitation in him as to what his answer should be.  
  


Kurapika  
I will wait for our next encounter, Rein.

  
They continued to text for the next few minutes, choosing a time and a place. By the time their conversation wrapped up, the sun had shifted in the sky, just enough for the former strip of sunlight to make its way across the carpet and cast itself upon Kurapika's legs, warming him.

* * *

While it had been Rein to cling onto Feitan for the longest amount of time, Lucky to cry the most, and Zepile to feel the greatest amount of silent relief, it was Phinks who hadn't let Feitan out of sight even once since he'd set eyes upon him that morning. He'd roughhoused, giving playful punches and sharp edged words before keeping his distance and yet never ever concealing himself or leaving. It was if he was tethered by fascination and a sense of reassurance to the Spider, trapped in a bubble with Feitan as its focus. Even if he could not bring himself close right now, he wouldn't leave. After all, if people left they usually left for good, so this difference was something he felt should be enjoyed, exploited.

It would be a lie to say he wasn't happy. He was, enough for Feitan to make fun of him for decades to come if he expressed it all as he normally did. This emotion would fester inside of him, as a small, quiet thing that didn't feel entirely all too bad.

The group had moved inside now, done with soaking in sunshine and getting their vitamin G or whatever. The kids had been hogging Feitan for the most part, surrounding him like over excited preschoolers clinging to their mother, which, Phinks thought with a smirk and a mental note to make fun of Fei for it later, didn't sound wrong at all. Most everyone was on the couches now, but he noticed Zushi and Kalluto off to the side, whispering.

"What are you two brats plotting?" Phinks almost instinctively squatted down to meet their eye level, but he caught himself just in time and straightened, crossing his arms instead.

"I-" Kalluto's sleeves were scrunched up, with a smear of flour on the darkest part of its silk. His hands clenched. "A... present."

"... A _what?"_

"P-pre..."

Zushi tilted his head to the side. "Just go through with it. I'm sure Feitan-san won't mind."

"But it's never... it hasn't ever worked for me bef-"

"What, so all this muttering is about some stupid indecision?" Phinks raised his voice, just enough for it to sound loud in their conversation but for it to go unnoticed to everyone else. There was a Nen technique to redirect your voice so only some could hear it. It was old and honestly wasn't his style, but Phinks was a talented Nen user and would flaunt it when possible. He spoke directly to the young Zoldyck. "We don't need someone in the Spiders who's just going to focus on the past. We'll kick you out, so before we do, you better do something about that attitude."

Kalluto looked as if he'd been slapped in the face, but then... "Alright." His violet eyes locked onto Phinks', unwavering. "Alright."

He left back for the kitchen, shutting the door firmly before Zushi could even think about following him. A short silence passed between the two left behind.

"So," Phinks addressed, "Brown brat."

"Yes?"

"What's a..." He coughed and lowered his voice near incomprehensible as he whispered, "...present?

"Hm? I couldn't quite hear-"

The tips of his ears blazed. "Nothing. Nothing, so shut up and stop talking and shut up." Phinks sighed and scratched the back of his neck, discreetly massaging it. It hurt from looking down at the kid too much. He was so short, like Fei. "Do you even drink milk?"

Zushi peered upwards, but the sudden change in discussion topic didn't faze him. "I thought I was supposed to shut up."

With a chuckle, Phinks grabbed Zushi by the collar, propping him up in the air. "You have attitude," he commented through shut teeth. He wanted to say something about children not having any respect, but come to think of it, he hadn't had any as a child either, so he wasn't in a position to talk and diss his old self.

Ignoring him, Zushi flopped backwards, turning upside down as he took a deep whiff. "I wonder what Kalluto was making. It smells good."

Clicking his tongue, Phinks sighed and placed Zushi back onto the floor. "He's good at this kitchen stuff. I bet it'll taste alright," he said. "Why was he moping around about it?"

"I think, Phinks-san," Zushi spoke up with his eyes trained on the kitchen door, "Kalluto is taking a step forward, and taking that step at all was an admirable thing to do." The door he'd been keeping his eyes on opened and Kalluto quickly stepped out, carrying something. Zushi rushed forward to join him as he made his way toward the middle of the room, where Feitan and the others were. But he paused, and looked back. "Phinks-san?"

Phinks scowled momentarily at his use of honorifics even though he'd repeatedly told him to stop, but the frown soon left him. He stared at the smile Zushi was giving him; a look back over his shoulder and his head at an angle, grinning brightly.

"A present is something you make and give to someone you are close to."

Phinks blinked at Zushi's back as he trotted off. "Give, huh?" Massaging his jaw, he hesitated on whether he should move forward to join them. Coming to the conclusion that it would be awkward to stand by himself off to the side and unwilling to admit he was curious about the 'present', he started to walk toward them. "Who in their right mind would do that?"

When Kalluto approached Feitan, his knuckles were pale from gripping the plate too hard. He wondered whether he would be able to speak, but a rather forceful hit on the back from Zushi spurred him on. "It's..." His first word caught in his throat, but he forced himself to keep going. He caught his brother's icy blue eye for a brief moment, but he tore his gaze away. "...not pretty. It's not a pretty present, but it's all I have." Kalluto set down the plate.

Feitan cast his eyes down at the plate with an eyebrow raised. "What is this?"

It wasn't anything beautiful, but it did seem to glisten under the lights. The pure white of the frosting, shaped neatly in a way that almost made it appear crisp or crystallized, with rows of fruit cut and lined up to look their finest upon its surface. It was still warm and sent a sweet scent through the air, that even though it appeared amateurish, it was still tempting.

"Strawberry shortcake." There were additional stains on Kalluto now; a smear of the cut strawberries on his obi when he'd accidentally dropped one of the fruits, a dusting of powdered sugar near his feet and a dab of frosting on a strand of hair when some of the mixture had flown at him while he was making it. But he seemed to neither notice nor care about any of this as he clutched his silken sleeves tightly. "I'm not a professional. This is all I have. This is all I can give you, but this is my present, so..." He looked up. "So don't leave for the moon."

He almost felt as if he would wither under Feitan's strong gaze. For a split second, Kalluto was fully convinced that he had failed once more to keep someone close, that Feitan would now take this as an initiative to leave for good this time and never come back.

"And _this_ going to keep me here?" Feitan spat. "Of course I stay. You mortals all so weak and pathetic and you can't live without me. Or are you so stupid like everyone else that you can't understand simple fact?" He looked at the cake on the table. "Now how you expect me to eat? Hands?"

Kalluto's eyes widened. "You're staying?"

"What I just say? Of course I stay, who else going to make you pathetic people strong enough to not die?"

The tension melted from his shoulders. "You aren't leaving?"

An exhale and the firm assurance, "No."

Kalluto merely sat down, dumbfounded and slightly out of breath as Gon ran to go get forks for them all in his place. They all dug in without cutting up the cake. Feitan took a single bite as he made sure Kalluto watched him, after which he sat back and didn't take another. Zushi ate the surrounding frosting and invited a lingering and hesitant Zepile to join in. Rein went to Kalluto and hefted him up, dragging him to the table and encouraged him to eat as well, which he did, solemnly and yet with a hidden happiness. Gon accidentally flicked some cake into Killua's hair, after which Killua retaliated by 'accidentally' shoving some into his face. After breaking up their fight, Lucky took a candied strawberry from the top and offered it to Machi passing by, who hadn't bothered to throw herself into the commotion in the first place. With a slightly surprised look that quickly faded away, she accepted it. After the majority of them were done, Phinks took the plate into his large hands and, slouched over the sofa, shoveled whatever was left into his mouth.

It was far from the dignified image of the Phantom Troupe. But even spiders are living creatures with brains and hearts, so perhaps such a scene was not so far-fetched.

* * *

He'd been straining to hear the conversation happening inside the lodge for the last few minutes until, before he'd known it, he had become fully engrossed at the audio of the scene unfolding. After getting word from Shalnark that matters appeared dire, he'd rushed over as last minute help if needed, displaying his trust in the Phantom Troupe members by not showing any panic, but speeding nonetheless. But it seemed he'd arrived too late, or rather, at a time where there would be no space for him to slip in.

"Well," Chrollo stated to the air, pulling up the collar of his fur-lined coat, "I suppose I'll have to lay low for now."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The Kalluto bit of this chapter was influenced by a chapter of School Babysitters (Gakuen babysitters) which I totally recommend you go watch if you want to cry but also be immensely happy.  
> Me during this chapter: *tries to explain ooc-ness*
> 
> Q: Zushi, who is your father?  
> Zushi: I... I have like four of them please be more specific-

**Author's Note:**

> Hunter x Hunter belongs to Yoshihiro Togashi. The only things I own are my OCs and the unique plot I have spun. I hope you guys enjoy the read from now on! Share, support, and comment :)


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